Richard Eleck currently serves on the Music Education faculty at Ithaca College. He recently retired as the Director of Bands at Cortland Senior High School in Cortland, NY where he taught from 1987-2017. Prior to coming to Cortland, Mr. Eleck served as Director of the Jazz Band and Lecturer in Jazz at Cayuga Community College. Mr. Eleck serves as an All-State and Major Organization adjudicator as well as the Percussion Coordinator for the New York State School Music Association. He is a past president of the New York State Field Band Conference. His principal percussion teachers have been Gordon Stout, George Kiteley and Tom Fries. He has studied conducting with Rodney Winther, Stephen Peterson and Col. Arnald Gabriel.
Mr. Eleck served the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes as principal percussionist and timpanist for over 10 years. In addition, he is a freelance percussionist and drumset player. Credits include performing with the Sammy Kaye Orchestra, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble X and the B.C. Pops Orchestra. He is an alumnus of the Bluecoats and Avant Garde Drum and Bugle Corps and is a former DCA National Individual Champion Mallet Soloist.
Mr. Eleck endorses and plays BroNwyn Custom Drums, Vic Firth Sticks and Grover Pro Percussion.