Phillip Golub ’11

Phillip Golub ’11 comes from a musical family; he’s pretty certain he would have become a musician no matter where he went to high school. But he might not have received such an excellent music education. “I left Crossroads with a strong foundation in classical music and jazz as well as in music theory,” Phillip said. “It’s not common in the U.S. to have a really solid musical education in high school, and I have carried that with me.” 

Phillip earned a bachelor’s in English from Harvard University; a master’s of music in jazz performance from New England Conservatory; and a master’s in composition from Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. 

These days, he’s living in Brooklyn, composing and performing. He has recorded with Tropos, a group he co-founded, and as a member of Layale Chaker’s Sarafand Ensemble. 

His own work centers on experimental improvised music and includes influences ranging from medieval to Arabic traditions. “It’s jazz-adjacent,” he explained. “I’m exploring the boundaries between the improvised and the notated and using an intensive rehearsal process as an integral part of creating work in conjunction with other musicians.” Phillip is also the musical dramaturg and music coordinator for “… (Iphigenia),” a new opera by musicians Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding. 

Reflecting on his time at Crossroads, Phillip said, “The Crossroads music program really shaped me. The Upper School jazz program with Evan Avery, and even Middle School jazz with Tony Hundtoft, encouraged me early on to trust my original voice and explore whatever kinds of music interested me. Though I wasn’t officially in the EMMI program (the Elizabeth Mandell Music Institute), playing with the EMMI students and learning with them at such a high level was a real benefit to have when I got to college.” 

Phillip has also become an advocate for independent music artists’ labor rights as a member and organizer for Music Workers Alliance. “The pandemic made labor issues that had been around for a long time even more urgent,” he said. “Contributing to the broader musical community has become an important part of my life.”