Technical Sgt. Ernesto Villalobos Jr. is a trumpeter with the Ceremonial Brass. Originally from El Paso, Texas, he joined The United States Air Force Band in 2023.
Prior to joining the Air Force, Sgt. Villalobos was a music educator and trumpeter in the El Paso, Las Cruces, Juárez-Mexico region. He was principal trumpet of the Juárez Symphony Orchestra (Mexico), member of the El Paso Winds, and Mariachi Los Arrieros. He also performed with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, and several mariachi ensembles in the borderland region.
Sgt. Villalobos had the privilege of sharing the stage with recording artists such as Bárbara Padilla, Olga Breeskin, Guadalupe Pineda, Isabel Marie Sánchez, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitián, Mariachi Sol de México, and Mariachi Los Camperos.
Sgt. Villalobos earned both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso where he was a student of Dr. Nancy Taylor. His additional teachers include Stephen Heimer and Kenneth Capshaw.