Founder Bob Phillips
BOB PHILLIPS, founder of the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, is renowned as a string pedagogue and an innovator in string education. Under his musical direction and the management of his wife, Pam Phillips, the Fiddlers gained an international reputation performing 75-80 times annually. The Phillips stepped down from leadership of the Fiddlers in 2002.
An expert in the use of folk fiddling and jazz in the string orchestra, Mr. Phillips is co-author of the successful series of books: Fiddlers Philharmonic, Fiddlers Philharmonic Encore! and Jazz Philharmonic, Jazz Philharmonic: Second Set, published by Alfred Publishing. These arrangements of traditional American fiddle repertoire grew from a need for material for his own string classrooms and in his performing groups. In addition to this series, Mr. Phillips is also a composer of performance pieces for school orchestra and co-author of the highly successful String Explorer string method.
Mr. Phillips taught in the Saline Area Schools until 2003. He graduated from the University of Michigan where he was a student of Lawrence Hurst, Elizabeth Green and Robert Culver. He has been elected "Teacher of the Year" nine times by professional associations. Mr. Phillips has been invited to present string education clinics in most states and several foreign countries and has conducted many youth orchestras and camps. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips were honored as Saline's Citizens of the Year in 2000 for their work with the Fiddlers. They continue to work in music education. To know more about what they are doing currently, visit their website at www.phillipsfiddlers.com.