Biography

Austin Phillips is currently holds a Bachelor’s of Music in piano performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and currently teaches at the Castro Valley School of Music in California. He has been playing the piano since age 6, and was a student of Mr. Antonio Pompa-Baldi. His past teachers were Dr. Jed Galant, Mr. John McCarthy and Ms. Zita Sandor. From age 8 until he graduated in high school, Austin participated in numerous piano competitions in the Bay Area and has won numerous awards. He was the recipient of the radio station KDFC Classical Star Search “People’s Choice Award” in 2009. He participated in the Zeiter Competition, East Bay Music Festival, Ross Mckee Piano Competition, United States Open Music Competition, etc.. Austin is also an avid chamber musician. He has attended several chamber music camps such as the California Summer Music, Summer Music West, etc.. In chamber music, his piano duo has been selected to perform in the Peggy and Malkind Festival at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has performed in master classes for Pascal Nemirovski, Stephan Möller, Frank Weins, Anne  Louise Turgeon, Edward Turgeon, Elizabeth Bergmann and Marcel Bergmann . He has also been an accompanist for youth violinists as well as youth choirs such as the Cantabella Children’s Chorus. He also was a very active volunteer, giving performances for the community, whether it be in a festival, veterans’ residences or senior residences. His other interests are music composition, ballet and ice skating/dancing.