Chicago Symphony Orchestra mourns long-standing violinist

Read more news stories here

Violinist Paul Phillips died on 27 March 2024 following a long illness, at his home in Chicago. The 77-year-old was a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for 40 years from 1980 until his retirement in 2020.

Phillips was born in Canton, OH and began studying the violin at the age of four after his father showed him an old instrument retrieved from his family’s closet. He learnt from William Taylor and later attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying violin and chamber music with William Kroll of the Kroll Quartet, Endre Granat of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Donald Weilerstein of the Cleveland Quartet.

Prior to joining the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Phillips became a member of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1968, where he regularly performed as a member of the Indianapolis Quartet. He joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra four years later in 1972.

Phillips joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1980 at the invitation of music director Sir Georg Solti, where he served in the first violin section until his retirement in 2020. He was a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Alumni Association and served as its president.

As a chamber musician, he collaborated regularly with flautist Donald Peck and Melody Lord, as well as ensembles such as the Gold Coast Chamber Players, Chicago Nine Ensemble, Ensemble à Corde, Chicago Pro Musica, the Chicago Symphony Quartet and Music of the Baroque.

Phillips performed on a 1760 Joseph Gagliano violin for many years. He is survived by his husband, sister and a nephew.

Playing

In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.

Teaching

The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.

Calendars

American collector David L. Fulton amassed one of the 20th century’s finest collections of stringed instruments. This year’s calendar pays tribute to some of these priceless treasures, including Yehudi Menuhin’s celebrated ‘Lord Wilton’ Guarneri, the Carlo Bergonzi once played by Fritz Kreisler, and four instruments by Antonio Stradivari.