You may see Bryan Eckenrode walking to the Canisius campus with his cello strapped to his back. Eckenrode has made the trek from his nearby home since he came to Canisius more than 15 years ago. An adjunct professor, Eckenrode teaches cello in the fine arts/music department.
He also teaches at Buffalo State College, Villa Maria College and Nichols School.
Eckenrode conducts the Amherst Symphony Orchestra, the Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony and the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra in Warren, PA.
Eckenrode has a strong connection to the Canisius music faculty, its students and alumni.
“Many students that I taught kept in touch and now play in the orchestras that I conduct,” says Eckenrode. “Some actually come back for lessons with me after they graduate from Canisius.”
Eckenrode teaches seven different instruments and plays 14, including the bagpipes, which he often performs at weddings, funerals and graduations. He performs film soundtracks, including a series of short black and white Christmas movies for Turner Classic Movies and a PBS Series entitled “Glorious Battle: the Seize of Fort Erie,” which aired nationwide.
Eckenrode and his wife, Cristen Gregory, a soprano, often perform together and will present a program at the Montante Cultural Center in February 2018.
While it might seem that he has little time left for anything but music, Eckenrode has an interesting hobby. “I love to work on my old cars, including a 1960 Volkswagen Beetle that I bought when I was 20, a 1990 Yugo and Renault convertible GTA,” he says.
Submitted by: College Communications
