Jamestown native to perform with Air Force band

Jamestown, NY, native Erik Lundquist was set on the path to a career in music at an early age.

Technical Sergeant Lundquist, a euphonium player with the United States Air Force Band, returns to Chautauqua County to perform at SUNY Fredonia when Rockefeller Arts Center presents a free concert with the Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in King Concert Hall.

Lundquist grew up in a musical environment in the south county city. His father, Rick, a SUNY Fredonia alumnus, just retired after a 30-year run as the conductor of the Jamestown Municipal Band.

“I believe that community bands play an important role in a healthy community and I began playing with the band as a teenager,” Lundquist said. “I was exposed to so many different pieces of music written for wind band that encompass many genres.”

While the Oct. 16 Fredonia concert is free, tickets are required. They are available online 24/7, on Monday, Wednesday or Friday by phone at (716) 673-3501 or in person at the Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center.

Lundquist joined the Air Force Band in 2016, after winning the audition and finishing his master’s degree in Euphonium Performance at the University of North Texas.

While at North Texas, Lundquist won the 2016 International Tuba Euphonium Association Mock Euphonium Audition and took second place in the Falcone International Tuba Euphonium Competition the same year. Also, in 2016, he was named Outstanding Graduate Student in Brass.

In 2018, Lundquist traveled to Finland to compete in the Lieksa Brass Week International Euphonium Competition, where he was named one of eight semi-finalists out of over 30 euphonium players from around the world.

The sergeant recently took the time to answer some questions in advance of the Oct. 16 Fredonia concert

Question: What are some of your favorite memories of growing up in Jamestown?

I remember Jamestown as being a place where it’s small enough that you know a bunch of people, but big enough you don’t know everyone. Throughout western New York I especially enjoyed (and miss!) skiing in the winter at area resorts, while summer was filled with happy memories of time spent on Chautauqua Lake at Camp Mission Meadows or Chautauqua Institution. I also had a great experience the Fredonia Summer Music Festival for three seasons where we learned from Fredonia faculty and experienced a taste of life in music school. While I didn’t technically attend Fredonia as a college student, I feel a strong sense of connection to the school. Both my parents are Fredonia alumni, and I studied in high school and semester breaks in college with [Professor Emeritus] Barry Kilpatrick who many will remember as the longtime beloved euphonium professor. I still can reference things I learned from him and I’m grateful for our time together. Overall, I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a place where I had a supportive family and was taught that taking things seriously should be encouraged. The hardworking educators in the music program in the Jamestown Public Schools provided me a great deal of exposure to different types of music and experiences that I still cherish to this day. It’s a place that has helped to shape who I am today and I’m grateful for that!

Question: How did your father’s role with the Jamestown Municipal Band influence you?

It helped to keep me active in the summers while I was studying music in college. I was never out of shape! I enjoy playing music in an ensemble as a team player where your individual part has meaning within the ensemble to create something greater than you otherwise could as a soloist. This experience of getting to play with a group of people who are excited to be there and who are supportive of each other is a great feeling, and I, like many others, continue to chase that feeling! That is the main reason that I wanted to become a euphonium player in a band.

Question: What do you enjoy most about being a member of the United States Air Force Band?

I enjoy seeing and hearing my colleagues perform at a high level in many different settings whether it be a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, an arrival ceremony at the Pentagon, an international military tattoo, or a concert for the public. To be a part of that is a great feeling!

Question: What’s on your playlist right now?

My current favorite podcast is old episodes of “Car Talk” from NPR. It’s great to listen to kind, hilarious, and intelligent people helping others! Musically, I’m currently doing a deep dive into the symphonies of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Here’s an interesting fact: I was originally introduced to his wind band music when I was in the Junior High Area All-State Band conducted by Fredonia Music Education Professor Christian Bernhard, where we played ‘Sea Songs’! Lastly, I’m also really enjoying revisiting the grunge and alternative rock of the 1990s. I’m always open to new things!

The Oct. 16 concert by the United States Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants is sponsored by The Observer, The Post-Journal and WDOE and KIX Country as part of the 2025-26 Lake Shore Bank Season at Rockefeller Arts Center.