Craig Phillips / About

Dr. Phillips served at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, as Associate Director and Director of Music from 1988 2026. Upon his retirement in the summer of 2026, the church established the Canon Dr. Craig Phillips Chair for Music, Director of Music Endowment Fund, in his honor and to support the future of great music at All Saints’ well into the future.

As a performer, Dr. Phillips was featured as soloist at the opening service of the 2012 National Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Nashville with the première of a newly commissioned work, Three Sketches for Organ, and in his works for organ, brass and percussion. In 2002, Dr. Phillips was featured as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra in a performance of his Concertino for organ and orchestra during the National Convention of the AGO in Philadelphia. He has also appeared as soloist with members of the Eastman Philharmonia, the Oklahoma Symphony, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, and Musica Angelica at the Corona del Mar Baroque Music Festival. Dr. Phillips has appeared as soloist at regional conventions of the AGO and at various venues across the United States. He has distinguished himself in a number of competitions, including First Prize in the 1994 Clarence Mader Competition for organ composition.

The music of Craig Phillips has been the subject of feature articles in the The American Organist (March 2012), the Los Angeles Times (February 2012) and The Diapason (June 2009). Dr. Phillips has received numerous commissions from such organizations as The American Guild of Organists — for the National Conventions in Washington, DC, 2010, Nashville, 2012, and Seattle, 2000, and for regional conventions in Atlanta, 2007, Lexington, 2011, Boston, 2009, San Diego and Binghamton, 2001, The Episcopal Church (for the 2006 General Convention), The Association of Anglican Musicians, Stellar Brass (USAF Academy Band), The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s (Pacific Palisades, CA), CoroAllegro of Wilmington, Delaware, The University of Iowa, Syracuse University, University of California at Riverside, Washington National Cathedral and many other churches and institutions. His secular works include a Concerto for Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra, Concerto for Bassoon and Strings, A Festival Song for chorus and orchestra, a song cycle for soprano and orchestra entitled Songs of the Unknown Region, Suite for Organ, Brass Quintet and Percussion, two Sonatas for organ, and a numerous other chamber works.

Dr. Phillips holds the degrees Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Music, and the Performers Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, where he studied with the great pedagogue Russell Saunders. His Bachelor of Music Degree is from Oklahoma Baptist University, and his early musical studies were at the Blair School of Music in Nashville. He is a member of the American Guild of Organists, the Association of Anglican Musicians, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and serves on the board of the Ruth and Clarence Mader Scholarship Fund.

Dr. Phillips resides in West Hollywood, California. He has a love of travel and for many years has spent time in Southern France, where he goes to write music and gather inspiration.