Augustana Band Festival

The Augustana Band Festival has brought thousands of students from a 5-state area to participate in two full days of ensemble and clinic work featuring three separate bands — Gold, Blue and Honor Bands — led by outstanding music educators/directors. Participating students are nominated by their high school directors, and the festival is organized and carried out by an Augustana committee of outstanding student musicians.

The grand finale concert of the festival will be held in the Mary Sommervold Hall of the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls and will feature performances by the Gold, Blue and Honor bands, as well as the Augustana Band.

Join us:

✨ 68th Annual Band Fest | Nov. 7-8, 2025 ✨

Dr. Erika Svanoe is a conductor and composer for wind band, known for her lyrical melodies, nods to classic literature, musical deconstruction, humor and pastiche. Her works have been performed by "The President's Own" United States Marine Band; United States Navy Band; National Concert Band of America, featured at the Midwest Clinic; American Bandmasters Association National Conference; Boston New Music Festival; Wisconsin Public Radio in Bandworld's Top 100; and Teaching Music Through Performance in Band Series. Her first published work, "The Haunted Carousel," won the 2014 NBA Young Band Composition Contest. Her first album, "The Music of Erika Svanoe," was recorded by Andrew Boysen Jr. and the University of New Hampshire Wind Symphony, and released in 2022. As a conductor, Svanoe has held residencies with the Manhattan School of Music, USAF Heritage of America Band, Atlanta Freedom Bands and numerous universities. She has held collegiate appointments at Augsburg University, Bemidji State University and University of New Hampshire. She is active as a guest conductor and clinician — appearing with high school, university, All-State and festival ensembles across the United States. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in conducting from Ohio State University, where she served as conductor of the OSU Collegiate Winds, assistant conductor of the OSU Wind Symphony and taught undergraduate conducting classes. Her DMA dissertation included a critical edition of Aaron Copland's El Salón México for wind ensemble. She holds a Master of Music (MM) in wind conducting from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Her music is published through Alfred Music, G.Schirmer/AMP,and self-published through Swan Maiden Press. Originally from Whitewater, Wisconsin, she lives in Menomonie, Wisconsin, with her husband, Erik Evensen.

Dr. Christopher Unger is the fifth conductor of the Augustana Band. He began his tenure at the university in September 2015. 

Unger served as the interim director of bands at the University of British Columbia. Prior to that, Unger served as the assistant conductor of both the Eastman Wind Orchestra and Eastman Wind Ensemble. At Eastman, Unger was honored with the Frederick Fennell Fellowship for Advanced Conducting Study, Evan Whallon Conducting Award and prestigious Walter Hagen Conducting Prize. His role at Eastman provided him with the opportunity to act as a producer on the Eastman Wind Ensemble’s 2013 release on Avie Records titled "Stravinsky-Octet/L’Histoire du Soldat." In addition to conducting the wind ensembles, Unger worked with the brass guild, trumpet ensemble and graduate chamber orchestra. He was also chosen to conduct a featured performance of "Imis" by Massimo Luaricella, the 2011-12 OSSIA International Composition Competition winner, with the Ossia New Music Ensemble.

Prior to his graduate studies, Unger was the instrumental music teacher at G.P. Vanier Secondary School in Courtenay, British Columbia. Under his baton, the instrumental ensembles at Vanier participated in regional and national festivals and received national recognition for their performances at Musicfest Canada. In his final year at Vanier, Unger was nominated for the CARAS/MUSICAN Teacher of the Year Award.

Unger won the American Prize in Conducting in the Wind Ensemble Division in 2013. The American Prize is a series of new, nonprofit national competitions in the performing arts — unique in scope and structure, providing awards, professional adjudication and regional, national and international recognition. Each year, The American Prize rewards the best recorded performances by individual artists and ensembles in the United States.

Unger’s principal conducting teachers were Drs. Mark Scatterday and Colleen Richardson. He has attended a number of influential conducting symposiums where he worked with master wind conductors such as Donald Hunsberger, Frank Battisti, Charles Peltz, Michael Haithcock, Allan McMurray, Craig Kirchhoff, Michael Votta, Gary Hill and Rodney Winther. He maintains professional affiliations with the College Band Directors National Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles and Conductor’s Guild.

Unger earned a DMA in conducting from the Eastman School of Music in 2013. Additionally, he holds degrees from the University of Western Ontario and University of British Columbia.

Dr. Rolf Olson is director of Choral Activities at Freeman Academy and music director/conductor of the Sioux Empire Brass. His extensive teaching experience includes director of bands at the University of South Dakota (1990-2015), Northern State University (2016-2022), Augustana College (1989-90) and Arlington Public Schools (1984-88). Olson is an active guest conductor having directed the Nebraska and South Dakota All-State Bands, Dakota Wind Ensemble and Northwest Iowa Honor Band. He served for many years as an adjudicator for the South Dakota All-State Band auditions and numerous other music contests and festivals in the region. Olson is co-founder of the South Dakota All State Jazz Festival. Olson is an active trumpet player as a member of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO), South Dakota Brass Quintet and Dalesburg Cornet Band, of which he is cornet soloist and musical director. He has performed twice at International Trumpet Guild Conventions and with the Carson & Barnes Circus Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gene Pitney, and Myron Floren. Awards include the South Dakota Outstanding Bandmaster of the Year Award, Distinguished Service Award from the SDHSAA for the furtherance of high school activities, while making significant contributions that have exemplified the highest ideals of service given to the Association and to the youth of South Dakota. He was recognized by the National Federation of State High School Associations as the Outstanding Music Educator for South Dakota and nominated for the national award. Olson enjoys a busy life with his partner, Dr. Anne Waltner, a pianist and farmer, as well as their 8-year-old triplets, Greta, Lydia and Alice.

Peter Guenther is in his 25th year as director of bands at Owatonna High School. Previous to this position, he was the director of junior and senior high bands at Lake City High School from 1993 to 2001. At Owatonna High School, Guenther conducts three concert bands, marching band, pep band and jazz ensemble. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Winona State University. He is a past recipient of the Owatonna Teacher of the Year and Owatonna Community Arts Award. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), National Band Association, Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA), Minnesota Band Directors Association (MBDA),and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. Guenther conducts the Owatonna Community Band and Owatonna Community Orchestra, and is a member of the Medalist Concert Band in Bloomington, Minnesota. He is active as a performer, adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and (now) South Dakota! Guenther enjoys golfing, camping and spending quality time with his wife, Holly, their five children and seven (soon to be eight) grandchildren. Guenther loves music, teaching kids of all ages and making a difference. He said, “Music is always a journey, full of challenge, success, growth and aspiration. We never stop learning ... music is for life!”