Biography

Cora Phillips, a native of Blythewood, SC began playing the cello at the age of nine in the University of South Carolina String Project. She was recently reviewed in the New York Times for her role in RETURNING, A Liz Sargent Production in May of 2005. In 2001 Ms. Phillips was the first place winner in the Greensboro Cello competition, and she also place first in the 2000 Federation of Music clubs student auditions on the North Carolina, and National level. She has toured France and Italy with such groups as the Charleston Pro Musica, and the International Music Program and has participated in the French Woods Summer Festival (as a teacher and performer), NCSA summer festival in Manteo, NC, Killington Arts Festival, Piccolo Spoleto, Brevard Music Festival, and the South Carolina Governor’s School of the Arts.

She received her MM from the San Francisco Conservatory where she studied primarily with Bonnie Hampton, and Sadao Harada. Her BM was obtained from the North Carolina School of the Arts where she studied with Marcy Rosen, and Robert Marsh. She has participated in chamber master classes with Paul Katz, Mark Sokol, Axel Strauss, Jodi Levitz, Timothy Eddy, Mack McCray and Paul Hersh.

Cora has recently dedicated herself to teaching and community out-reach programs. She is currently a member of the Open Dream Ensemble, a collaborative performing arts company dedicated to arts- in-education programs in the public schools in NC. She teaches at the Palmetto Center for the Arts, a magnet program for artistically gifted high school students in SC and is adjunct professor at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. In addition, Cora is a founding member of the Gervais String Trio.