According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Philip Rice is "the real thing: a born conductor who communicates with musicians and makes them play better than they thought they could." Mr. Rice was appointed as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the New Bedford Symphony last season, and the SouthCoast has already started to see what leadership of this quality can bring to our orchestra. Audience attendance tripled during the 2002-03 season and enthusiastic critical reviews have appeared in the Providence Journal and elsewhere.

Mr. Rice has considerable achievements as music director of symphony orchestras. During an 8 year tenure as Music Director of Orchestra Atlanta, a professional level volunteer orchestra, he raised the musicianship to such a height that it earned a spot on NPR's Performance Today, a first among such ensembles in the United States.

Philip Rice has conducted the symphony orchestras of Chattanooga and Savannah, the Chattanooga Ballet orchestra for 13 seasons, and both the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony in rehearsal. For seven years, Mr. Rice was the Music Director of Chattanooga Choral Arts. In addition to his duties with NBSO he is also Music Director of the Georgia Philharmonia and the Rome Symphony Orchestra, and is on the voice faculty of The School of Fine Arts in Chattanooga.