Robert Phillips (born July 26, 1953, New York City) is an American

classical guitarist This is a list of classical guitarists. Baroque (17th and 18th centuries) 19th century 20th century Contemporary See also * List of flamenco guitarists References {{DEFAULTSORT:Classical guitarists Cl ...

Early life

Born Robert Michael Phillips, he is the son of Dr. Robert Warren Phillips and Dr. Irma Phillips who lived, although only briefly, in

Valley Stream, New York Valley Stream is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 40,634 at the tim ...

. A few months after his birth his parents returned to his mother's native Puerto Rico, living in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

. Three years later they returned to the U.S., living for two years in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and then moving to

Deer Park, New York Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Babylon, in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was listed as 28,837 at the time of the 2020 census. History Deer Park is located in ...

. He attended Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic school and then

Seton Hall High School Seton Hall High School was located on 155 West Roe Boulevard in Patchogue, New York. Prior to 1952, the school was situated in bungalows on South Ocean Avenue. It opened in September 1937 and was closed in June 1974. Seton Hall was one of very ...

Music career

Education

Phillips began his musical training at age 8 on the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...

. He began to teach himself the

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

at age 12. He did not work with a teacher until 1967, when he began to learn finger-style

folk guitar The steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar that descends from the gut-strung Romantic guitar, but is strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. Like the modern classical guitar, it is often referred to simply ...

. After taking lessons for a year, he studied classical guitar at the suggestion of his teacher. In 1971, he entered

Hofstra University Hofstra University is a Private university, private research university in Hempstead, New York, United States. It originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University and became an independent college in 1939. Comprising ten schools, includ ...

as a Music Education major, studying under Stanley Solow. After graduating in 1975, Phillips began studies in New York under José Rey de la Torre. In 1976, Rey left New York for

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, and Phillips worked on his own for the next two years. In 1977, after attending a three-week seminar and master class under the direction of

Guido Santórsola Guido Antonio Santórsola di Bari Bruno (18 November 1904 in Canosa di Puglia, Italy – 24 September 1994 in Montevideo, Uruguay) was a Brazilian-Uruguayan composer, violinist, violist, viola d'amore player, and conductor of Italian birth. Life ...

and

Carlos Barbosa-Lima Antonio Carlos Ribeiro Barbosa Lima (17 December 1944 – 23 February 2022) was a Brazilian classical and jazz guitarist. He spent most of his professional life as a resident in the United States, devoting much of his time as a recitalist on in ...

, Phillips began to study on a more or less regular basis with Barbosa-Lima. In 1979, Phillips decided that a more regular regimen of study was desirable, and he studied briefly with

Dennis Koster Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is sometime ...

. Soon after, he returned to school at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...

in order to earn a master's degree. He studied first with

David Starobin David Starobin (born September 27, 1951) is a highly honored figure in the world of classical guitar. Called "arguably the most influential American classical guitarist of the 20th century" ('' Soundboard''), Starobin was born in New York City. ...

and then with Michael Cedric Smith. Phillips graduated with an master's degree 1982. Although he did play in master classes, most notably by Eduardo Fernandez, Phillips did not return to formal education until 1999, when he entered the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

. Under the instruction of Rene Gonzalez, he earned a

Doctor of Musical Arts The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a doctorate, doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually Performance, music performance, music composition, or conducting) with graduate-le ...

. While at the University of Miami, he also had the opportunity to perform in a master class given by

Sergio Assad Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * Sergio, the mascot for the Old Orchard Beach Surge Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungar ...

Performing and recording

He made his New York recital debut at

Weill Recital Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by its n ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

on October 31, 1987. In 1991 he released his first album, ''Guitarre Nouveau'', which included works by

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, Frank Martin,

Eberhard Weber Eberhard Weber is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, he is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing. Weber's compositions blend chamber jazz, European classical music, minimalism and ambient music, and are regarded ...

, and

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

, as well as his own compositions. In 1996 he released a two-CD set, ''Great Themes and Variations for Classic Guitar'' as a companion to his anthology of the same name. His next recording wasn't until 2014 when he released the complete solo guitar works of Miguel Llobet in a recording titled, ''Lo Mestre, the Music of Miguel Llobet''. He performs as a solo recitalist, ensemble player, and guest soloist. He has premiered works by Alfred Giusto, Frank Brazinski, and Eric Ross, as well as the "Pipedream Sonata" by Meyer Kupferman, which Phillips commissioned, and the Goyescana Concerto for guitar and orchestra by

Michael Colina Michael Dalmau Colina (born November 16, 1948) is a Grammy-winning American musician, composer, producer and engineer. He has written music for television, film, theatre, dance and live performances on concert stages throughout the United States, ...

, which he also commissioned and premiered in 2008. In 2016 Phillips embarked on a commissioning project, enlisting six Central Florida based composers to each create a new work for solo guitar in a dance rhythm. The composers who participated in the project were Troy Gifford,

Jorge Morel Jorge Scibona (9 May 1931 – 10 February 2021), known professionally as Jorge Morel, was a classical guitarist and composer from Argentina. Biography Morel was born in Buenos Aires. His father taught him the rudiments of classical guitar from a ...

, Benoit Glazer, Charles Griffin, all from Orlando;

Howard J. Buss Howard J. Buss (born in 1951) is an American composer of contemporary classical music. Buss’ works include instrumental solos, chamber music, symphonic, choral, and band works. His music has received awards, including from the 2011 Lieksa Bras ...

, from Lakeland, Florida; and Rex Willis, from Sarasota.

Writing

In 1983 Phillips worked briefly as an editorial assistant on the staff of ''Guitar Review''. In 1989 he began writing a monthly classical guitar column in the rock-oriented guitar magazine, ''

Guitar for the Practicing Musician ''Guitar for the Practicing Musician'' was a guitar magazine published in the United States by Cherry Lane Music from 1982 to 1999. The magazine was published monthly. In 1992, it was the most popular music publication at newsstands, selling 74 ...

'', and its more general sister publication, the quarterly, ''Guitar Extra''. In 1992 Cherry Lane Music discontinued the publication of ''Guitar Extra'', and dropped his classical guitar column in ''Guitar for the Practicing Musician''. Phillips went on to write several short "lessons" for ''

Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' was an American magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francis ...

'' magazine. He also contributed articles to '' Soundboard'', the quarterly publication of the

Guitar Foundation of America The Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) is an American classical guitar nonprofit organization that was founded in 1973 at the National Guitar Convention sponsored by the American String Teachers Association. The foundation offers various ser ...

, and to ''American String Teacher'', the journal of the

American String Teachers Association The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) is a professional organization for bowed string music teachers based in the United States. It is the largest organization in the U.S. for string teachers. ASTA serves teachers and students in all are ...

. In 1996, he published ''Great Themes and Variations for Classic Guitar'' (

Mel Bay Melbourne Earl Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997), known professionally as Mel Bay, was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'', first published in 197 ...

), and released his second recording, a companion to the book. His doctoral dissertation is titled, ''The Influence of

Miguel Llobet Miguel Llobet Solés (18 October 187822 February 1938) was a classical guitarist, born in Barcelona, Spain. Llobet was a renowned virtuoso who toured Europe and Americas, America extensively. He made well known arrangements of Catalan folk son ...

on the Pedagogy, Repertoire, and Stature of the Guitar in the Twentieth Century''( 2002, OCLC 51796355). It was while researching his dissertation, and on the advice of guitar scholars Ron Purcell and

Angelo Gilardino Angelo Gilardino (16 November 1941 – 14 January 2022) was an Italian composer, guitarist, and musicologist. Life and career Gilardino was born in Vercelli, Italy, on 16 November 1941. During his concert career, from 1958 to 1981, he premier ...

that Phillips sought and found a complete archive of Llobet. His discovery of this missing archive was documented in his article, "Barcelona, Cradle of the Modern Classical Guitar: the Llobet Archive Rediscovered", ''Soundboard XXVIII, no. 4, 2002''.Phillips 2002

Teaching

Phillips began teaching guitar, music appreciation, and music theory at All Saints' Academy in 1995, and went on to become the chair of the performing arts department until 2008. In 2008, while continuing his duties as an instructor at All Saints' Academy, he began teaching guitar at

Polk State College Polk State College (PSC) is a public college based in Winter Haven, Florida, United States, and is part of the Florida College System. Established in 1964, PSC operates its main campuses in Winter Haven and Lakeland, with additional education c ...

and

Southeastern University Southeastern University is a Private university, private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was established in 1935 in New Brockton, Alabama, as Southeastern Bible Institute, relocated to Lakeland in 1946, and became ...

. In 2010 he left All Saints' Academy, and accepted a position teaching classical guitar at

Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, also called the Harrison School for the Arts, is a high school in Lakeland, Florida, United States. The school was founded in 1989 and named after community member and art patro ...

Video

In 1983 Phillips appeared in a series of instructional videos titled "Classical Guitar Made Easy" which was broadcast on

Group W Cable The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndic ...

. Following the series, he began to produce and host a monthly talk show on Group W. The talk show, ''Long Island Sounds'', featured interviews and performances of Long Island-based musicians. The show ran for three years, after which Phillips changed the trajectory of his efforts, not returning to video for nearly three decades. In 2011, taking advantage of new technology and relatively inexpensive production costs, Robert produced and recorded a series of videos of himself performing standards from the classical guitar repertory. Many of these performances were recorded in interesting locations, with the settings of some being almost as much of a feature as the music. Locations included the Museum of Fine Arts (St. Petersburg, Florida), and the

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

Danforth Chapel at the

Florida Southern College Florida Southern College (Florida Southern, Southern or FSC) is a private college in Lakeland, Florida. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. It offers undergraduate, gradua ...

Child of the Sun Child of the Sun is a collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the campus of the Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. The twelve original buildings were constructed between 1941 and 1958. Another of Wright's designs, ...

. These videos were to be bundled together as "video albums", consisting of compositions that were thematically related. The first of these, "A Spanish Recital", consisted of works by

Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the post-romantic era who also had a significant influence on his con ...

Enrique Granados Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enrique Granados in Spanish or ''Enric Granados'' in Catalan, was a Spanish composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Cat ...

Francisco Tárrega Francisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea (21 November 185215 December 1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist of the late Romantic period. He is known for such pieces as '' Capricho Árabe'' and '' Recuerdos de la Alhambra''. Biography ...

, and

Federico Moreno Torroba Federico Moreno Torroba (3 March 189112 September 1982) was a Spanish composer, conductor, and theatrical impresario. He is especially remembered for his important contributions to the classical guitar repertoire, becoming one of the leading twe ...

. In 2015 Phillips began to produce "A Year of the Guitar", a video diary in which he chronicled his daily relationship with the instrument. The entries include performances of pieces, study guides for learning pieces, insights into his own daily practice, and instructional materials. These videos were published on Phillips' YouTube channel with a series of instructional videos.

Discography

* ''Guitarre Nouveau'' – works by

, Frank Martin, and Robert Phillips (TPL) * ''Great Themes and Variations for Classic Guitar'' – works by

Fernando Sor Fernando Sor (baptised 14 February 1778 – 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the Classical period (music), late Classical era and Romantic music, early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar mu ...

Mauro Giuliani Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani (27 July 1781 – 8 May 1829) was an Italian guitarist, cellist, singer, and composer. He was a leading guitar virtuoso of the early 19th century. Biography Although born in Bisceglie, Giuliani's cente ...

Matteo Carcassi Matteo Carcassi (8 April 1792 – 16 January 1853)Raffaele Carpino, Mario dell'Ara: "Matteo Carcassi. Un nuovo aggiornamento biografico", in: ''Il Fronimo'' no. 184 (2018), p. 5–9. was an Italian guitarist and composer. Life Carcassi was born i ...

Sylvius Leopold Weiss Sylvius Leopold Weiss (12 October 168716 October 1750) was a German composer and lutenist. Born in Grottkau near Breslau, the son of Johann Jacob Weiss, also a lutenist, Weiss was one of the most important and most prolific composers of lute m ...

Georg Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, Han ...

, J. S. Bach, and others (

) * ''Lo Mestre'' – complete solo guitar works of

(

Centaur A centaur ( ; ; ), occasionally hippocentaur, also called Ixionidae (), is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse that was said to live in the mountains of Thessaly. In one version o ...

) * ''Night/Dances'' works by Robert Phillips,

, Charles Griffin, Benoit Glazer, Troy Gifford, Rex Willis, Howard Buss and John W. Powell 4Tay Records

Sources

*Bert, Alison. Review of Guitarre Nouveau by Robert Phillips. Guitar Extra (Summer 1991), p. 93. *Carrier, Joel. "Robert Phillips Works to Expand Classical Guitar Repertoire." LKLD Now. LKLD Now, Web. 8 Mar. 2021. . *Catala, Paul. "Lakeland Composer Commissions Pieces Written for Guitar in Dance Rhythms." The Ledger. The Ledger, 17 Feb. 2017. Web. 17 Nov. 2017. . * Crutchfield, Will. "Robert Phillips, Guitar." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Nov. 1987. Web. 17 Nov. 2017. . *Fabian, Valentine. "Meyer Kupferman, Composer." Jeffrey James Arts Consulting Composer Notes, . *Gherman, Sergiu . “Guitar Concerto High Point of Performance.” The Ledger, The Ledger, 12 Nov. 2008, . *Griffin, Charlie. "Guitarist Robert Phillips and the Orange Blossom Dances." Artborne Magazine 2, no.6 June 2017, p. 53-54. Web. 27 June 2017. . *McMullen, Cary. “Imperial Symphony Orchestra Has Innovative Season.” The Ledger, The Ledger, 1 May 2009, . *Phillips, Robert: "Barcelona, Cradle of the Modern Classical Guitar: The Llobet Archive Rediscovered", Soundboard 28, no. 4 (Spring 2002), p. 39-41. *Reinstetlethe, Matt . "Harrison Teacher Releases Third Classical-Music Album." The Ledger. The Ledger, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2017. .
Official web site

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Robert 1953 births Living people American classical guitarists American male guitarists Brooklyn College alumni University of Miami Frost School of Music alumni Hofstra University alumni People from Valley Stream, New York People from Deer Park, New York 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians