As an avocation, Phil Cynar has been a church organist/choir director for more than 30 years — most of that time in the Pittsburgh region since he moved here from Johnstown, PA (his hometown) in 1994. He has largely served Lutheran and Episcopal parishes in and around the city, currently at Christ-Our Savior’s Parish (ELCA) in Baden (Beaver County). He recently began his seventh year of service there, playing two Sunday morning liturgies and preparing and directing a small choir — which he reinvigorated to sing for holidays and holy days when he joined the staff in 2018. Prior to that, Phil served for nearly a decade each at both St. Michael and All Angels Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Spring Garden and at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross in Homewood. His first church musician’s position when he moved to Pittsburgh was at the historic Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal) in Hazelwood.
Phil’s degree (BA) is journalism/creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and has been the foundation for a career in communications/marketing that has totaled 37 years. He recently retired from full-time work in communications at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development where he was senior director of media and public relations for 17 years.
For many years, Phil has studied organ performance privately with various masters of the instrument and has sung with church choirs and other ensembles which has given him a great deal of exposure to outstanding choral directors and the techniques and best practices for helping choirs sound their best. Says Phil, “I am excited about the opportunity at Christ Lutheran Millvale, and I look forward to having fresh purpose in my musical life and to helping the church’s choir and congregation ‘make a joyful noise to the Lord.’ He and his spouse of eight years, Jeff Rhodes, live in Harmony Township (atop Ambridge) and are “cat dads” to Markle — a very loving Siamese with beautiful blue eyes.