Phil Braithwaite is a UK-based film composer, guitarist, and author whose career spans over two decades.

 

Phil began his musical journey performing in pubs and clubs before he was even old enough to be in them. Since then, he has built a diverse and dynamic career rooted in an enduring passion for music, which he brings to every project.

 

A versatile composer and performer, Phil is equally comfortable writing for full orchestras, electronic music and popular styles, as well as playing guitar. His work as a film composer includes the award-winning feature Everything After and the upcoming The Sky Looks Different in Chicago, alongside numerous internationally recognised short films and documentaries.

 

Phil's music has featured on TV, advertisements, and commercials worldwide. His credits include American Horror Story, Harley-Davidson, Ocado, Crystal Palace Football Club, and many more.

 

As a guitarist, Phil has toured globally for over a decade with “Queen of the Violin” Vanessa-Mae, performing in over 50 countries. He has also played with high-profile artists such as Westlife, Shane Filan, Jessie J, The Game, Four Tops, Jonas Blue, X-Factor UK, and others, taking on roles as guitarist, session musician, and musical director.

 

Phil is also the author of two critically acclaimed guitar tuition books: Adventurous Open Chords for the Creative Guitarist and Developing Phrasing and Solos for Guitar—both selected by Guitarist Magazine as Best Guitar Books of 2011 and 2013 respectively.

 

At just 23, Phil became the youngest university lecturer in the UK, teaching at The Academy of Music and Sound (Southampton and Birmingham) and Coventry University. Two years later, he left academia to fully pursue his creative ambitions.Phil earned a First-Class Honours Degree in Music and Professional Practice from Coventry University, graduating with the highest grade ever awarded (98%). He received a scholarship from EMI to study on the elite Master Performance course at Tech Music Schools in London—offered only to the top 12 popular music students in the world—and graduated with the award for Best Performer. Furthering his commitment to lifelong learning, Phil studied film composition at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe in Bulgaria, one of the most respected programs in the field.