Robert Phillips is an American classical guitarist.

Early life

The son of two optometrists, Dr. Robert Michael Phillips (born Robert Warren Phillips) and Dr. Irma Phillips née Pedrogo who resided, although only briefly, in Valley Stream, New York

Valley Stream, New York

Valley Stream is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population in the village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census...

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

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, living in San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

, coincidentally in a building next to the one in which legendary cellist Pablo Casals

Pablo Casals

Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...

 lived. (Irma Phillips was a first cousin to Rafael "Churumba" Cordero, who was mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

 from 1989 until his death in 2004.) Three years later they returned to the U.S., residing for two years in Brooklyn, New York and then relocating to Deer Park, New York

Deer Park, New York

Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census.-History:...

. Robert attended Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic school and then Seton Hall High School.

Musical training

Phillips began his musical training at age 8 on the accordion. He began to teach himself the guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 at age 12. He did not work under a teacher until 1967, when he began to learn finger style folk guitar. After one year of lessons, Phillips outpaced his teacher, who suggested that he study classical guitar

Classical guitar

The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...

.

In 1971, he entered Hofstra University

Hofstra University

Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...

 as a Music Education major, studying guitar under Stanley Solow. On graduating in 1975, Phillips began studies in New York under José Rey de la Torre

José Rey de la Torre

José Rey de la Torre , known by his stage name Rey de la Torre, was one of the most significant classical guitarists of the mid-twentieth century, and considered by many to be the father of “modern classical guitar technique”.-Early life:De la Torre studied with Severino Lopez in Havana, Cuba...

. In 1976, Rey de la Torre left New York for San Francisco, 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 Guído Santórsola and Carlos Barbosa-Lima

Carlos Barbosa-Lima

Antonio Carlos Ribeiro Barbosa Lima is a Brazilian guitarist born in São Paulo. He devotes most of his time as a recitalist on international concert tours and regularly appears as a soloist with numerous major orchestras....

, 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. Soon after, he returned to school at Brooklyn College

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...

 in order to earn a masters degree. There, he studied first with David Starobin

David Starobin

David Starobin is an American classical guitarist, record producer, and film director. He is married to Rebecca Askew Starobin , and is the father of Robert Joseph Starobin III , and Allegra Rose Starobin David Starobin (born September 27, 1951 in New York City) is an American classical...

, and then with Michael Cedric Smith. Phillips graduated with an M.A. in 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

University of Miami

The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...

. Under the instruction of Rene Gonzalez, he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts. While at the University of Miami, he also had the opportunity to perform in a master class given by Sergio Assad

Sergio Assad

Sérgio Assad is a Brazilian guitarist, composer, and arranger who often performs with his brother in the guitar duo Sérgio and Odair Assad, commonly referred to as Assad Brothers or Duo Assad.-Biography:...

.

Professional career

In 1983 Phillips worked briefly as an editorial assistant on the staff of Guitar Review. Robert made his New York recital debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....

 on October 31, 1987. In 1989 he began writing a monthly classical guitar column in the popular rock guitar magazine, Guitar for the Practicing Musician

Guitar for the Practicing Musician

Guitar for the Practicing Musician was a guitar magazine published in the United States by Cherry Lane Music in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1992, it was the most popular music publication at newsstands, selling 740,000 issues over a six-month period. It was popular for publishing songs with guitar and...

, and its more general sister publication, the quarterly, Guitar Extra. In 1991 he released his first CD, Guitarre Nouveau, which included works by Philip Glass

Philip Glass

Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...

, Frank Martin

Frank Martin (composer)

Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:...

, Eberhard Weber

Eberhard Weber

Eberhard Weber is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, Weber is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing...

, and Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...

, as well as his own compositions. In 1992, he published “Great Themes and Variations for Classic Guitar” (Mel Bay Publications

Mel Bay Publications

Mel Bay was a musician best known for his series of music education books. His Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords remains a bestseller.-Childhood and early life:...

, Inc.), and released his second recording, a 2 CD companion set to this book. In 1992 Cherry Lane Music discontinued the publication of Guitar Extra, and dropped Robert’s classical guitar column in Guitar for the Practicing Musician. Phillips went on to write several short “lessons” for Guitar Player. He also contributed articles to Soundboard

Soundboard (magazine)

Soundboard is a magazine published quarterly by the Guitar Foundation of America . The GFA is a 501 non-profit organization dedicated to furthering interest and knowledge of the guitar - primarily the classical guitar and classical guitar music...

, the quarterly publication of the Guitar Foundation of America

Guitar Foundation of America

Guitar Foundation of America is the leading guitar organization founded in the year 1973. The company offer various services ranging from Guitar Lessons, to a Guitar Shop, Competitions and Events. The company is non profit and relies on advertisers on the website and events and donations...

 and to "American String Teacher", the bi-monthly journal of the American String Teachers Association

American String Teachers Association

The American String Teacher's Association is a professional organization based in the United States for music teachers. It is the largest such national organization in the US for string teachers. It promotes learning to play string instruments in the next generation of American students, and...

.

His doctoral dissertation is entitled, The influence of Miguel Llobet

Miguel Llobet

Miguel Llobet Solés was a classical guitarist, born in Barcelona . Llobet was a renowned virtuoso who toured Europe and America extensively. He made well known arrangements of Catalan folk songs for the solo guitar and is also the composer of original works.-Biography:Some details of Llobet's...

 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 Ronald Purcell and Angelo Gilardino

Angelo Gilardino

Angelo Gilardino is an Italian composer, guitarist and musicologist.During his concert career, from 1958 to 1981, he premiered hundreds of new works for the guitar. He taught at the Liceo Musicale G. B. Viotti in Vercelli from 1965 to 1981, and held a professorship at the Antonio Vivaldi...

 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 began teaching guitar, music appreciation, and music theory at All Saints' Academy

All Saints' Academy (Florida)

All Saints' Academy is an independent preparatory school located in Winter Haven, Florida that is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Grades serviced within the school range from Pre-Kindergarten, at age 3, through the twelfth grade...

 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 and Southeastern University. In 2010 he left All Saints' Academy, and accepted a postition teaching classical guitar at Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

The Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts was founded in Lakeland, Florida, United States in 1989 and named after community member and art patron Lois Cowles Harrison. It is a Magnet school that draws its student population from communities throughout Polk County...

. He continues to perform as a solo recitalist, ensemble player, and guest soloist. He has premiered works by Alfred Giusto, Frank Brazinski, Eric Ross, Meyer Kupferman

Meyer Kupferman

Meyer Kupferman was a prolific American composer and clarinetist.-Life:Meyer Kupferman was born in New York City. A self taught composer, Kupferman first gained attention in the late 1940s when his early opera "In A Garden" was premiered at the Tanglewood and Edinburgh Festivals. From 1951 to 1993...

, and Michael Colina

Michael Colina

Michael Dalmau Colina 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, Europe and Japan...

.

Discography

Guitarre Nouveau; works by Philip Glass, Eberhard Weber, Thelonious Monk, Frank Martin, and Robert Phillips; TPL Records.

Great Themes and Variations for Classic Guitar, 2 CDs; works by Fernando Sor

Fernando Sor

Josep Ferran Sorts i Muntades was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer. While he is best known for his guitar compositions, he also composed music for a wide range of genres, including opera, orchestra, string quartet, piano, voice and ballet...

, Mauro Giuliani

Mauro Giuliani

Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani was an Italian guitarist, cellist and composer, and is considered by many to be one of the leading guitar virtuosi of the early 19th century.- Biography :...

, Matteo Carcassi

Matteo Carcassi

Matteo Carcassi was a famous Italian guitarist and composer.Carcassi began with the piano, but learned guitar when still a child. He quickly gained a reputation as a virtuoso concert guitarist....

, Sylvius Leopold Weiss

Sylvius Leopold Weiss

Silvius Leopold Weiss was a German composer and lutenist.Born in Grottkau near Breslau, the son of Johann Jacob Weiss, also a lutenist, he served at courts in Breslau, Rome, and Dresden, where he died...

, Georg Frideric Handel, J. S. Bach, and others. Mel Bay Publications, Inc.

El Mestre; works by Miguel Llobet

Miguel Llobet

Miguel Llobet Solés was a classical guitarist, born in Barcelona . Llobet was a renowned virtuoso who toured Europe and America extensively. He made well known arrangements of Catalan folk songs for the solo guitar and is also the composer of original works.-Biography:Some details of Llobet's...

(release pending).