Julie Smith Phillips

Julie Smith Phillips is an award-winning concert artist and orchestral musician. Internationally recognized for her performing style and diverse repertoire, Ms. Phillips’ playing is described as “precise” and “luminous” (American Record Guide) “musically polished” (Hartford Courant) with “spectacular results” (San Diego Story). She is a top prize winner at the USA International Harp Competition, one of the most prestigious harp competitions in the world, receiving the Silver (2004) and Bronze (2001) medals in back-to-back competitions.

Ms. Phillips was appointed Principal Harpist of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in 2007. She has performed as guest principal harp with the Chicago, Houston, Dallas and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras and has additionally performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Minnesota Orchestra. Prior to her post in San Diego, she was named Acting Principal Harp of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and also served as Principal Harp for the New World Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Phillips’ collaborations with living composers include premieres of solo and chamber repertoire by Avner Dorman, Lei Liang, Dylan Mattingly, Hannah Lash, Michael Torke, Timo Andres, David Bruce, Rand Steiger and Jeremy Cavaterra. She is a founding member of The Myriad Trio (flute, viola, harp) and is the director of the Nebraska Harp Retreat, an annual summer experience and center for harp training and study in the Midwest region.

Studying with Yolanda Kondonassis, Ms. Phillips received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her recorded albums include The Rhapsodic Harp and The Eye of Night (with The Myriad Trio). A native of Hastings, NE, Julie Smith Phillips now resides in Carlsbad, CA with her husband, Tommy Phillips, and three young children, Samantha, Henry & Jack.

More information about Ms. Phillips can be found at www.juliesmithphillips.com.