Bruce R. Eicher ’54

Prominent organist and educator Bruce R. Eicher ’54 died June 22, 2022, at age 90. He was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Peabody Institute music conservatory and, for nearly six decades, organist and director of music at Grace United Methodist Church and organist at Beth El Congregation, both in Baltimore, Maryland.

An Iowa native, Eicher assumed his first position at age 13 as an assistant organist. He began formal organ study at Cornell College as a student of Eugene Devereaux. He completed his degree at the Curtis Institute of Music, where his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. He earned his master’s degree at the Peabody Institute and undertook summer study in France with Nadia Boulanger.

In addition to performing as a recitalist, Eicher held three long-term positions: head of the Ear Training Department at the Peabody Institute (28 years, retiring in 1997); organist and director of music at Grace United Methodist Church, Baltimore (55 years, retiring in 2013); and principal organist at Beth El Congregation, Baltimore (56 years, retiring in 2019).

At Grace, he expanded the music program to include choirs for adults, youth, and children, as well as handbell ensembles. He was active in starting an AIDS ministry and also founded a Sunday afternoon concert series at Grace, which eventually included 15 annual French organ marathons.

He is survived by a husband, daughter, son, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.