Lucas West, a finalist on NBC’s The Voice: Battle of Champions, will hold his Senior Recital on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at SUNY Fredonia’s Rosch Recital Hall. Submitted photo

Millions across the nation watched SUNY Fredonia student Lucas West on his journey from a blind audition to the finale of NBC’s singing competition, “The Voice: Battle of Champions.” Wednesday evening, West will give the Dunkirk-Fredonia community its own special performance as a thank you for supporting him along the way.

West will hold his Senior Recital on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at SUNY Fredonia’s Rosch Recital Hall. He will be performing a series of songs for the audience in what will likely be a farewell performance to Fredonia in his final year on campus.

“I hope this is a cool way to say goodbye to Fredonia,” West said. “I care so much about the people here. All they have ever done is support me.”

West is a senior Music major with a concentration in Jazz Studies at Fredonia’s School of Music. He recorded his audition for the show in a practice room at Mason Hall. He is from Fairport, just outside of Rochester.

Roughly 500 people will be welcome at Wednesday’s recital, free of charge.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as the event is not ticketed and seats could fill quickly. West will also attend a reception afterwards at the Williams Center on campus to meet the community that supported him along the way.

“I can’t do this without the community and the people that consume my music. I truly mean that. It’s because of the Fairport, Rochester, Buffalo, Fredonia and Dunkirk communities that I’m able to do what I do,” West said. “That’s what makes the experience fun — it’s not just on the show, it’s reflecting to the community. They are able to see what I’m doing and I’m able to represent them.”

On “The Voice,” West was a member of John Legend’s team. He picked Legend as his coach over Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine after they both turned their chairs during his blind audition performance of Elton John’s Bennie and the Jets.

“Being on the show was a larger than life, completely surreal experience,” West said. “It was just incredible being able to work with John Legend and get to know him. It’s been absolutely incredible – the opportunity of a lifetime.”

West said the blind audition was the most shocking moment of the experience, as he walked on the stage with three titans in the industry — Legend, Levine, and Kelly Clarkson — sitting with their backs turned in anticipation of his performance.

“When I walked on the stage and I saw the coaches sitting there, and I knew that behind those chairs were three legendary people, I was star struck in that moment,” West said.

As West progressed in the competition, he won in the Battles and the Knockouts to earn a spot in the Top 9. Three artists from each team competed for a spot in the live finale. After his performance of Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul McCartney, West was chosen as the lone member from Team Legend to compete for the title.

In the finale, West performed three songs – Cold as Ice by Foreigner; Ordinary People by his coach, John Legend; and a full-circle performance of another Elton John song, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me, in a duet with John Legend. West finished in third place out of all 30 contestants on the show’s 29th season. Alexia Jayy from Adam Levine’s team was crowned the winner of The Voice.

“I’m so proud of Lucas,” Legend said on the show. “I love working with a real musician who understands what it means to be a pianist, be an arranger, and of course what it means to be a great vocalist and performer.”

Since his debut on “The Voice,” West has felt the love from the community even more than ever before. He hopes for a strong turnout at Wednesday’s event to give back to those who have been in his corner all along.

“It’s wild. I’ve never been in the position before where people that I don’t know are excited to see me. It’s weird, but it’s also a great honor to be able to connect to people through my music,” West said. “My music is the medium for a lot of my human connection nowadays. That’s everything I could ask for as an artist.”