Welcome to the web site of trombonist, pianist and composer Philip Swanson.
Currently:
After a busy Spring, highlighted by an appearance of Confluence at the The Association of Writers & Writing Programs‘ annual meeting in Denver, CO, and recording session and concert by the Thompson Brass Project with Barbara Bruns, organist, at the Old West Church in Boston, MA, I will be devoting the summer to composition. Works in progress include a song cycle for Tenor and Piano and a Woodwind Quintet.
I was interviewed in the July/August 2010 issue of Fanfare Magazine (Volume 33, No. 6) by music critic Peter Burwasser. He also reviewed my recent solo piano album, Ikkyu’s Dream. For a full transcript of the interview and review, please visit Fanfare online.
Fall performances will be posted to the schedule page in September.
biography
Philip Swanson has had a distinguished career as a trombonist, pianist, organist, composer, conductor, and teacher. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts from New England Conservatory, Master of Music from the Eastman School, and completed his undergraduate work at Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Miami. He is presently an Associate Professor of Music at Salem State College in Salem, MA.
As a trombonist, he has performed with the Miami Philharmonic, where he served as principal for five years, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Opera Boston, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and numerous other orchestras and chamber ensembles. He is cofounder of the Thompson Brass Project, a brass chamber ensemble which features trumpet virtuoso and Eastman professor James Thompson.
He performs regularly with several jazz groups including Chamber Jazz Trio and Bob Nieske’s Big Wolf Project. He appears frequently in concert as a solo pianist performing his own works as well as his improvisations on jazz standards. He also has collaborated with poet J.D. Scrimgeour, forming the group “Confluence” which combines Scrimgeour’s poetry with his music. They have performed throughout New England to wide acclaim.