Iowa Public Television

Hunter Fuerste got his start playing with Dick Jurgens in 1972. In 1976 at the age of 22 he became the lead trombonist with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, traveling all over the United States and Canada, and working with such talent as Billy Eckstine and Carol Lawrence. He left the orchestra after a year to go back to school and become an ophthalmologist.

After beginning his medical career in the early 1980's, Fuerste formed his own dance band in and around the Dubuque, Iowa area. Arrangements for this band were penned by Hunter and Dewey Bergman. He kept his band going for a while, but it soon gave way to his career as an ophthalmologist.

Several years ago, Hunter got the urge to put another band together. "The American Vintage Orchestra" was born. The orchestra performs yearly at The Grand Theater where they perform a big band tribute show called "Swing Out!" The AVO also performs at such notable ballrooms and venues as The Lakeside Ballroom in Guttenberg, Iowa, The Dubuque Fairgrounds, and The Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, Iowa.