Peter Phillips (conductor)
Encyclopedia
Peter Phillips was born in Southampton
on 15 Oct 1953. After winning a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford
in 1972, Phillips was offered the opportunity to study Renaissance music with the influential musicologists David Wulstan and Denis Arnold
. During this period, he acquired a great deal of experience in conducting small vocal ensembles and an interest in exploring neglected areas of the repertoire, in particular, the music of the sixteenth-century composers Thomas Tallis
and William Byrd
.
In 2005, Peter Phillips was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, a decoration intended to honour individuals who have contributed to the understanding of French culture in the world. In 2006, his song-cycle for contralto ‘Four Rondeaux by Charles d’Orleans’ was premiered in the Guggenheim, New York, to critical acclaim.
who, to date, have made 1600 concert appearances and some 50 commercially available recordings. Through his work with the Tallis Scholars, Phillips has played an important part in encouraging a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony all over the world. In addition to his performance based work, Phillips has also made a name for himself as a musicologist in his own right, publishing new editions of music and writing articles, which have helped Renaissance music to become an affirmed part of the Western musical canon.
, to name but a few. In 2007, he directed a joint concert at the Albert Hall
in London, as part of the BBC Proms series with the BBC Singers
and the Tallis Scholars.
In addition to a busy conducting career, Peter Phillips is also an eminent writer, writing regular articles on both music and cricket in The Spectator. In 1995 he became the owner and Publisher of The Musical Times, the oldest continuously published music journal in the world. His first book, English Sacred Music 1549–1649, was published by Gimell in 1991, while his second, What We Really Do, an unblinking account of what touring is like, alongside insights about the make-up and performance of polyphony, was published in 2003.
, as part of the new choral foundation based there.
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on 15 Oct 1953. After winning a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
in 1972, Phillips was offered the opportunity to study Renaissance music with the influential musicologists David Wulstan and Denis Arnold
Denis Arnold
Denis Midgley Arnold, CBE was a British musicologist. After being employed in the extramural department of The Queen's University, Belfast, he became a Lecturer in Music at the University of Hull, and from 1969 to 1975 was Professor of Music at The University of Nottingham...
. During this period, he acquired a great deal of experience in conducting small vocal ensembles and an interest in exploring neglected areas of the repertoire, in particular, the music of the sixteenth-century composers Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
and William Byrd
William Byrd
William Byrd was an English composer of the Renaissance. He wrote in many of the forms current in England at the time, including various types of sacred and secular polyphony, keyboard and consort music.-Provenance:Knowledge of Byrd's biography expanded in the late 20th century, thanks largely...
.
In 2005, Peter Phillips was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture, a decoration intended to honour individuals who have contributed to the understanding of French culture in the world. In 2006, his song-cycle for contralto ‘Four Rondeaux by Charles d’Orleans’ was premiered in the Guggenheim, New York, to critical acclaim.
The Tallis Scholars
In 1973, Phillips founded the Tallis ScholarsTallis Scholars
The Tallis Scholars are a British vocal ensemble normally consisting of two singers per part, with a core group of ten singers.Formed in 1973 by their director Peter Phillips, they specialise in performing a cappella sacred vocal music written during the Renaissance by composers from all over Europe...
who, to date, have made 1600 concert appearances and some 50 commercially available recordings. Through his work with the Tallis Scholars, Phillips has played an important part in encouraging a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony all over the world. In addition to his performance based work, Phillips has also made a name for himself as a musicologist in his own right, publishing new editions of music and writing articles, which have helped Renaissance music to become an affirmed part of the Western musical canon.
Other work
In addition to his ongoing work with the Tallis Scholars, Phillips is increasingly in demand with other prominent groups specialising in Renaissance music, including the Collegium Vocale of Ghent, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, the Choeur de Chambre de Namur, the Finnish Radio Choir, Musix of Budapest, the Studio de musique ancienne de MontréalStudio de musique ancienne de Montréal
The Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal is an early music vocal ensemble based in Montreal, Canada. Co-founded in 1974 by the organ and harpsichord players Christopher Jackson, Réjean Poirier, and Hélène Dugal, the group became an important part of the Early Music Revival in Montreal during the...
, to name but a few. In 2007, he directed a joint concert at the Albert Hall
Albert Hall
Albert P. Hall is an American actor.Born in Brighton, Alabama, Hall graduated from the Columbia University School of the Arts in 1971. That same year he appeared Off-Broadway in The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and on Broadway in the Melvin Van Peebles musical Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death...
in London, as part of the BBC Proms series with the BBC Singers
BBC Singers
The BBC Singers are the professional chamber choir of the BBC. As one of six BBC Performing Groups, the 24-voiced choir has been in existence for more than 80 years. The BBC Singers have commissioned and premiered works by the leading composers of the past century, including Benjamin Britten, Sir...
and the Tallis Scholars.
In addition to a busy conducting career, Peter Phillips is also an eminent writer, writing regular articles on both music and cricket in The Spectator. In 1995 he became the owner and Publisher of The Musical Times, the oldest continuously published music journal in the world. His first book, English Sacred Music 1549–1649, was published by Gimell in 1991, while his second, What We Really Do, an unblinking account of what touring is like, alongside insights about the make-up and performance of polyphony, was published in 2003.
Educational work
Phillips directs a large number of master-classes and choral workshops each year internationally, and is the Artistic Director of the Tallis Scholars Summer Schools. These courses take place in Oakham (UK), Seattle (US) and Sydney (Australia) and are devoted to propagating Phillips's style of performance practice, as pioneered by The Tallis Scholars. In October 2008, Peter Phillips was appointed as joint Director of Music at Merton College, OxfordMerton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
, as part of the new choral foundation based there.