Philip A. Rice (11/08/1988), an American composer, born in Grand Rapids (Michigan), now living in Coldwater, Michigan. He has been composing since he was five years old. He began by writing solo piano music, and notated his first piece at age eight, but soon moved on to baroque and classical ensemble works. He now enjoys writing choral, orchestral, and various instrumental music in modern as well as traditional styles. In the past, Philip has received Honorable Mention on two different occasions (in 2002 and 2003) for solo piano compositions that he entered in the student composers competition for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Aside from composing, Philip also enjoys playing the piano. He frequently performs improv jazz and occasional music at special gatherings and weddings. Philip performs with his high school choir, and is also active in the accredited website SibeliusMusic.com, where he publishes many of his compositions. Philip has had one choral piece, titled Ave Maria premiered by a choral ensemble last spring, and a fugue for recorder ensemble premiered this winter in England. Philip’s choral work, Genesis was accepted into the Michigan Honors Composition Concert to be premiered in January at the annual Michigan Music Educators Conference. Another premiere took place on December 17 in Paris, France, where Philip’s Fugal Variations on Jingle Bells was performed at a charity concert for children with autism. Philip has also been commissioned to write a piece for brass ensemble by Matthew Ryan’s brass band in Great Britain, and was contacted concerning possible performances of his piece for concert band and choir, Pater Noster, by Tom Newall, director the James Farrel Concert Band, and Kevin Roberts, director of the Queens Army Division Band, also in the UK. Philip continues to compose, and plans to attend college to study music theory and composition in 2005.

"I enjoy composing in various styles of classical and modern music. My main interests currently lie in 20th century film and orchestral music, as well as modern choral works. I have been composing music and taking private piano lessons since I was 5, and I want to compose and conduct choral and orchestral music as a career. I live in Coldwater, Michigan, and have competed in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Youth Composers contest for the past 3 years. I received an honorable mention in 2002 for 'Carousel Waltz', and in 2003 for Stargaze I am mostly self-taught in composition—I have had no formal training in music theory or composition (other than piano lessons). My piece Genesis was recently accepted into the Michigan Honors Composition Concert as part of the Midwest Music Educators Conference.
My main influences as far as modern composers are Eric Whitacre, John Williams, John Rutter, Samuel Barber, Arturo Rodriguez, Howard Shore."