You Had Me at Cello

Mandy Majtan is a cellist in Jamestown, NY. Mandy created the Chadakoin Chamber Ensemble
in April of 2021, a non-profit organization that performs throughout the Chautauqua region. She
is co-director and principal cellist of The Chadakoin Chamber Ensemble. Mandy also plays cello
in the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra. Mandy also dabbles in songwriting and often performs
solo at various venues. Mandy makes guest appearances and occasional recordings with various
local bands. Previous ensemble engagements include the Olean Chamber Society and pit
orchestras for musicals throughout Chautauqua County. Mandy performed in an Americana Duo
for two years both live performance and recording. Mandy has been playing the cello for 10
years. She has studied modern cello with Bryan Eckenrode and baroque cello with Phoebe
Carrai. Prior to this Mandy played violin for 25 years and attended SUNY Fredonia for music
performance.

Cellist Bryan Eckenrode graduated cum laude from SUNY at Stony Brook and holds a Master of
Music degree from SUNY at Buffalo. He is currently principal cello with the Western New York
Chamber Orchestra and Southern Tier Symphony. Eckenrode has performed with the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra, with Ars Nova, and as principal cellist of the British Columbia (Canada)
Mozart Festival Orchestra. He is a member of the Lexington String Quartet, and the chamber
groups Voci D’Amore and Camerata.
Eckenrode records with the International Baroque Soloists, and he can be heard on the CD’s of
many artists, including Ani DiFranco, 10,000 Maniacs, Sixpence None the Richer, Seven Day
Faith, Them Jazzbeards, John and Mary, and Alison Pipitone: not only as a cellist, but as a
bagpiper and flutist. He has recorded the sound tracks of film scores for a number of silent
movies being distributed on commercial DVD by the Turner Broadcasting Network. He has
performed twice at Lincoln Center in New York and recently recorded the sound track for the
PBS special – The Siege of Fort Erie – A Glorious Battle. He was bagpipe soloist with the
Buffalo Philharmonic for their successful Memorial Day Pops Concerts. He is principal cellist
with The Most Arts Festival held during the month of July at Alfred University.
Eckenrode is conductor and music director of the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra and the
Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony, the Prelude Strings Orchestra, and the Young Artists
Orchestra of Jamestown. He conducted the Niagara All-County Festival Orchestra and the Erie
All-County Festival Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, and is frequently asked to
return to conduct. He has been guest conductor with the Western New York Chamber Orchestra
and The Southern Tier Symphony. Eckenrode is the program coordinator for Artpark’s Music in
the Woods series. He will be guest conductor of the Amherst Symphony in the Fall of 2015 and
the Genesee Symphony in the Spring of 2016.
Eckenrode is an adjunct professor at Canisius College, Jamestown Community College, and
director of the string department at Villa Maria College. Eckenrode is on the music faculty at the
renowned Nichols School in Buffalo. He is married to the internationally acclaimed soprano,
Cristen Gregory.