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In 1959, Mr. Phillips received the opportunity of a lifetime: to become a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra cello section. Mr. Phillips maintained this position for 31 years. He subsequently combined the best of both worlds, leaving his permanent position in 1990 to concentrate on his responsibilities as Executive Director and Instructor of Cello at Luzerne, while continuing to perform as an emeritus with the Philadelphia Orchestra every year during the Orchestra’s three-week summer residence at SPAC. Mr. Phillips has received international acclaim in numerous concert tours and recordings as a founding member of the Philarte String Quartet & Philadelphia Piano Quartet, and as a duo recitalist with his wife, pianist Toby Blumenthal. He has also served as conductor of Temple University Youth Chamber Orchestra, presented numerous master classes, and performed for several seasons as co-principal cello of the Naples (FL) Philharmonic. TOBY BLUMENTHAL received her Bachelors of Music Degree from Northwestern University, where she was a student of Gui Mombaerts, and her Masters of Music Degree from the University of Houston, as a student of Albert Hirsh. She also took Post Graduate studies at Marlboro, with Rudolph Serkin, and at University of Texas, with Leonard Shure. Ms. Blumenthal has distinguished herself a Steinway Artist. She has appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony, and has presented numerous solo recitals throughout the United States and Mexico with Mr. Phillips. She has also performed in duo-recitals with Mr. Phillips at art and education institutions throughout the United States and Europe, including Alice Tully and Carnegie Recital Halls in New York City, The National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Edvard Munch Gallery in Oslo, Norway. Ms. Blumenthal appears regularly in chamber music concerts with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has served as the Coordinator-Director of the Chamber Music Institute at Temple University Music Preparatory and has developed and directed the Piano Studies Program at Luzerne, where she serves as piano teacher and chamber music coach. OTHER PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS
Mr. Gniewek was the youngest and first American-born violinist to win the position of concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, performing over 100 different operas under the leadership of the world's most renowned conductors including Dimitri Mitropoulos, Karl Boehm, Herbert von Karajan, George Solti, Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, Carlos Kleiber, Bernard Haitink and, for 29 years, James Levine. After 43 years at the Met, Mr. Gniewek retired in May, 2000. He has since taught and coached members of the Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra in Verbier, Switzerland, as well as students attending the Tanglewood Music Center and Luzerne Music Center, where he serves on the Artistic Advisory Board. 
When not in Lake Luzerne,
Bert and Toby, as they are
fondly called, reside in Naples FL, where they are
the Artistic Directors of
Classic Chamber Concerts,
which they founded in 1994.
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