Originally from Chicago, Brian studied violin, guitar, musical theater, improvisational theater, and dance before beginning studies in composition. Penkrot's music has been performed in institutions and festivals in the United States and Europe. His chamber song Song of Liberty, (based on a text by William Blake), was selected for the Nevada Encounters of New Music festival in 2009. Chaparral Bridge premiered at the 2009 soundSCAPE festival in Pavia, Italy, and inspired the name for the Penbridge Trio. Rites of the Little Hours for percussion trio and fixed audio was selected for the 2010 SCI National Conference in South Carolina.