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The Buffalo Wind Symphony (BWS), formerly known as the Buffalo Niagara Concert Band, is one of Western New York’s premier community wind bands. Comprising approximately 80 volunteer musicians—including educators, students, professionals, and dedicated amateurs—BWS creates vibrant musical experiences that inspire and connect audiences across the Buffalo region.
Founded in 2004, the group began as a merger of passionate local musicians. Its mission is rooted in fostering lifelong music-making, community engagement, and artistic excellence. The ensemble performs throughout the year, offering both formal concerts and free outdoor performances that celebrate and serve the greater Buffalo community.
The Buffalo Wind Symphony is led by Amy J. Erhard, a respected conductor, educator, and bassoonist. A native of Eden, NY, Erhard is a two-time Grammy-nominated music educator who studied at SUNY Fredonia and has performed with ensembles including the Erie Philharmonic and the Cheektowaga Symphony Orchestra. She has spearheaded major outreach initiatives, including collaborations with Buffalo Public Schools and the “forGOT Music?” campaign to restore instrumental music programs in underserved schools. Her leadership has brought a sense of purpose and excellence to the ensemble.
A defining moment in the ensemble’s history came in 2018, when the Buffalo Wind Symphony hosted the 40th Association of Concert Bands (ACB) Convention in Buffalo. That same year, BWS became the first community band in New York State to receive the Sousa Sudler Silver Scroll Award, the highest national honor a community concert band can receive.
Looking ahead, the Buffalo Wind Symphony has again been selected to host a major national event: the 50th ACB Convention, to be held in Buffalo in May 2028. Titled “Encore!”, this milestone celebration will unite community bands and musicians from across the country, honoring five decades of artistic collaboration and excellence. The convention will be produced in partnership with the Buffalo Wind Symphony, with Erhard serving as Project Manager.
The Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center now serves as BWS’s premier season performance venue, offering state-of-the-art acoustics and accessibility. The ensemble also performs regularly at Fatima Shrine, Bassett Park, Hamburg Memorial Park, and the Quaker Arts Pavilion, continuing its tradition of enriching lives through the power of wind band music.
Buffalo Wind Symphony Conductor
Buffalo Wind Symphony Conductor
Amy J. Erhard
A native of Eden, NY, Amy J. Erhard is a two-time Grammy-nominated music educator, conductor, and lifelong advocate for equitable access to the arts. She holds both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education with a focus on Conducting from SUNY Fredonia and has spent nearly 30 years transforming music programs and building community through the power of music.
Amy currently serves as the Music Director and Conductor of the Buffalo Wind Symphony, which earned the prestigious John Philip Sousa Sudler Silver Scroll Award under her leadership. She also serves as Recording Secretary and Convention Project Manager for the Association of Concert Bands (ACB), helping to shape national-level initiatives and events.
Her leadership in Buffalo Public Schools includes launching a district-wide music camp, conducting the All-City Band, and founding community events like Arts Day, BPS Summer Music Camp, and the All-City Jazz Initiative. She is also the creator of “forGOT music?”, a citywide campaign to protect and restore music programs in public schools.
Amy’s excellence has been recognized widely: she was named Teacher of the Year in 2007, received Business First’s Forty Under 40 Award in 2010, and was honored as Western New York Instrumental Music Teacher of the Year by Buffalo State College in 2017. That same year, she was selected as one of five global educators by Be Part of the Music.
She has played leading roles in multiple national ACB events, including the 2018 “Forte in Buffalo” convention, 2023’s “Diversify Our Bands,” and as project manager for the 2025 “Music on the Frontier” convention in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She will once again lead on the national stage as Project Manager for the ACB 50th Anniversary Convention—“Encore!”—to be hosted by the Buffalo Wind Symphony in Buffalo, NY, in 2028.
Outside her professional life, Amy resides in Kenmore, NY, with her husband, Craig J. Erhard. Together, they enjoy time with their blended family, traveling, boating, cooking, and relaxing at their lake house—where music and community remain central to everything they do.
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