Biography
Philip was born in New York in 1985. He began his musical education and piano studies at the age of five with Jodi Tepp and his aunt, Ludmila Kandiba. At the age of nine, continuing study with Nora Kaplan.
In 2003, Philip graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (also known as the ‘Fame’ school.) In his final year, as an assistant conductor and pianist (repetiteur) in the LaGuardia High School Opera Theatre, he conducted performances of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (working with Gary Wedow, Andres Andrade and Jennifer Griesbach). Upon graduation, he received the Julius Grossman Conducting Award. While at LaGuardia, Philip participated in master classes with Reri Grist, George Pappastavrou and Mordecai Shehori.
In 2005, Philip, in collaboration with a newly formed opera organisation called City Youth Opera Inc. (CYO) working with Andres Andrade and Jennifer Griesbach and as Musical Director, staged the inaugural production of La Serva Padrona by Pergolesi. Philip has since worked on many occasions with CYO, including the preparation for the production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld.
In 2002-3, Philip began his work experience at The Amato Opera Theatre as an assistant répétiteur and studied with Anthony Amato. This is where he participated in performances of Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci, Cosi fan tutte, Hänsel und Gretel, Die Zauberflöte, Andrea Chenier, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La traviata, and HMS Pinafore.
Philip has an extensive experience performing in several major cities of the world. Some major venues have included; in New York, the 92nd St. Y, Amato Opera Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall. In Norway, Notterøy Kulturhus with opera group COSMOPOLITAN. In London, the Italian and South African Embassies, Royal College of Music Britten Theatre, including the Concert and Recital Halls, Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall and St. George Hanover Square. In Ireland, various venues in Wexford for the Wexford Festival, and in Scotland, working with Cantabile Artists Agency, halls in Musselburgh, Kilmarnock and Langholm.
In 2007, Philip graduated from the Royal College of Music, London with a Bachelor of Music (with Honours). He studied piano with Ruth Nye. In many other electives, Philip received guidance from Nigel Clayton (accompaniment), David Ward & Simon Nicholls (Fortepiano) for which he received the Amadeus Fortepiano Prize, and Robert Woolley (Harpsichord). He has an extensive song and operatic repertoire and has worked with such coaches as Gerald Martin- Moore, Dr. Jeanette Favaro-Reuter, Louis Menendez, Jorge Parodi, Howard Watkins, Joan Dornemann, Ingrid Surgenor, Tina Ruta, Brenda Hurley, Massimiliano Murrali, Tomoko Okada, Mikhail Hallak, the late Patric Schmid, Audrey Hyland, and Roger Vignoles.
Interested very much in vocal technique, Philip has accompanied classes for Neil Mackie CBE, Peter Savidge, Graeme Broadbent, Joseph Ward, Patricia MacMahon, Donald Maxwell, Mark Tucker, Roderick Earle, Russell Smythe, Sarah Walker, Ryland Davies, Timothy Evans-Jones, Elizabeth Ritchie, Della Jones, Dennis O’Neill, Nuccia Focile, Richard Bonynge, Elizabeth Robson, Marie McLaughlin, Sherrill Milnes, Maria Zouves, Patricia McCaffrey, Mark Schnaible, Inci Bashar, Neil Rosenshein and Maria Spacagna.
Philip has, on many occasions, acted as rehearsal pianist for major chorus rehearsals, notable ones are in 2003, when he played for the rehearsals of an all-Brahms concert with Robert Chilcott and in 2004 played for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Terry Edwards and Bernard Haitink and also in 2005 for Bruckner’s Te Deum.
In April 2008, Philip was on staff as a repetiteur with the Cardiff International Academy of Voice under Dennis O’Neill. While at the Academy, Philip worked with Cor Caerdydd, the Arts Festivals of Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and Opera Barga, Italy (working with Massimilano Murrali on production of Il Signor Bruschino and Act III and IV of La Bohème) and Longborough Opera where he assisted Anthony Negus in the preparation for Wagner’s Das Rheingold. Also, Philip has performed at such venues as Gregynog, Llandaff Cathedral, Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen, Coed Coch, Royal Dublin Society and Brangwyn Hall.
Philip, also works as a freelance accompanist, having played for various opera groups such as Opera Integra (Les contes d’Hoffmann and Ernani), Pavilion Opera (Tosca), New Devon Opera (La Bohème and La Traviata) and Chorus Mundi (Nelson Mass). Recent engagements include opera shows with Cantabile Artists Agency, a production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Scarlet Opera, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Music Theatre Project and the Essential Scottish Opera Tour all of which for he was Music Director and Pianist.
From 2009-10 Philip was at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on the Opera Repetiteur course where he was assistant conductor on the productions of Massenet’s Chérubin and Britten’s Albert Herring. At Guildhall, Philip received an MMus with distinction.
In 2010-11, Philip was Repetiteur Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and was repetiteur with Chelsea Opera Group on Donizetti’s Belisario conducted by Richard Bonynge.
Recently, Philip completed his repetiteur traineeship at the National Opera Studio, London, supported by The Leonard Hancock Memorial Trust Bursary. With the Grimeborn Opera Festival, Philip was Music Director and Pianist for a production of Il Tabarro (Opera magazine review) directed by Aylin Bozok and with The Complete Singer, directed by Jenny Miller, Philip was Assistant Music Director on Die Zauberflöte with Lesley Anne Sammons.
