Phil Elkins is a highly experienced instructor who brings more than two decades of performance experience to Furman. He joined the Greenville (S.C.) Symphony in 1996, and has served as co-principal trumpet since 2002. In 2009, he was a featured soloist with the Greenville Symphony under the direction of Edvard Tchivzhel.
In addition to the Greenville Symphony, Elkins performs with the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Macon (Ga.) Symphony and the Columbus (Ga.) Symphony orchestras. In addition, he serves as the director of operations and orchestra personnel manager of the Spartanburg (S.C.) Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been a member of the Elgin (Ill.) Symphony, the Illinois Philharmonic, and Charleston (S.C.) Symphony orchestras.
As a performer of chamber music since 1976, he has appeared and recorded with many diverse brass ensembles, including the Atlanta Brassworks, the Atlanta Symphony Brass Quintet, and the Greenville (S.C.) Brass Quintet.
Elkins currently instructs students at Furman and Greenville Technical College. Before joining Furman's faculty in 2009, Elkins taught at Columbus State University (Ga.), Clayton State University (Ga.), Georgia Military College, Kennesaw State University and the University of West Georgia. He has also maintained a successful teaching studio for more than 20 years.
Training
Gary Stollsteimer
University of Oklahoma
Vincent Cichowicz and Luther Didrickson
Northwestern University
Adolph Herseth and Arnold Jacobs
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
In addition to developing the joy of learning, my approach is to encourage the perception of the beauty in music, and to promote the creation of that beauty by the student, in as simple and natural a way as possible.