Peter Phillips has made an impressive if unusual reputation for himself in dedicating his life’s work to the research and performance of Renaissance polyphony. Having won a scholarship to Oxford in 1972, Peter Phillips studied Renaissance music with David Wulstan and Denis Arnold. He founded the Tallis Scholars in 1973, with whom he has now appeared in over 1700 concerts and made over 50 discs, encouraging interest in polyphony all over the world.
Apart from The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips continues to work with other specialist ensembles including Musica Reservata of Barcelona, the Choeur de Chambre de Namur, and Intrada of Moscow. He has made numerous television appearances, as well as speaking on Russian, German, French, and Italian radio. Peter also works extensively with the BBC Singers with whom he gave a Promenade concert in collaboration with the Tallis Scholars in July 2007, a concert which included Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in alium.
As well as leading numerous masterclasses and choral workshops every year, Peter Phillips is Artistic Director of the Tallis Scholars Summer Schools – annual choral courses based in Oakham (UK), Seattle (USA) and Sydney (Australia) dedicated to exploring the heritage of renaissance choral music, and developing an appropriate performance style for it. Peter has recently been appointed Reed Rubin Director of Music at Merton College, Oxford, where the new choral foundation he helped to establish began singing services in October 2008.
In 2005 Peter Phillips was made a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture; and a Fellow of Merton College in 2010.
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