Philip Harper became Musical Director of the Cory Band in 2012, winning all the major brass band competitions together on many occasions including two Grand Slams (all the titles at the same time) in 2016 and 2019. He has been a guest conductor of bands in many countries including Norway, Switzerland, the USA and Japan. In 2021 he was awarded the Iles Medal by the Worshipful Company of Musicians for his services to brass bands, and in 2023 was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 2027 he will become the Artistic Director of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, of which he is a former member.

Philip is also a prolific composer, and his original works and arrangements are played all over the world. Since 2005 he has been the Music Editor of the historic Wright and Round publishing company.

A resident of Gloucester, UK, Philip graduated from the University of Bristol in 1994 before going on to take a Masters Degree in Composition and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. He lived in Japan for two years, can speak Japanese, and is a fan of Sumo Wrestling.