Phil Snyder began his classical music studies on cello at the age of six, but his discovery of the guitar ten years later led to his exposure to a variety of styles including jazz, folk, and rock music. In 2003 he earned the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Guitar Performance from the University of Georgia studying under John Sutherland, with a secondary area in Cello Performance. This dual nature of Phil's musical life has helped him add to the unique versatility of the Georgia Guitar Quartet's expressive vocabulary. Phil has won several awards on both guitar and cello, including the state level of MTNA's Concerto Competition, South Carolina's National Federation of Music Clubs Competition, and the University of Georgia's annual Concerto Competition. As a participant in the Christopher Parkening Master Class from the years 1997-2000, he was chosen by his peers to represent the class in the final recital each year. Phil's primary interest is expanding the core classical repertoire available to guitarists through arranging for guitar ensemble. His arrangements for the Georgia Guitar Quartet include music of Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, Chopin, Grieg, Milhaud, Ginastera and Paul Simon. His article "The Music of Alberto Ginastera: A Fertile Source for Guitar Transcriptions" was published in the Guitar Foundation of America's journal Soundboard in 2006. Phil teaches guitar at LaGrange College, which has instituted a unique guitar program that offers both classical and contemporary guitar instruction.