Phile (Fyles, Pfeil, Phyla, etc.), Philip

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Phile (Fyles, Pfeil, Phyla, etc.), Philip

Phile (Fyles, Pfeil, Phyla, etc.), Philip, German–American violinist and composer; b. in Germany, c. 1734; d. Philadelphia, between Aug. 1 and Nov. 9, 1793. He served in the Pa. German Regiment during the Revolutionary War, being transferred in July 1778 to the Invalid Regiment, and discharged on Jan. 4,1783; a pension was granted to him on July 11, 1785. He was active in Philadelphia and N.Y. He gave concerts, played in theater orchs., and conducted the orch. of the Old American Co. of Comedians. His only extant work is The President’s March, which appears to have been written for George Washington’s first inauguration (1789). Joseph Hopkinson’s (son of Francis Hopkinson) text “Hail Columbia” was added to it, and it was subsequently performed for the first time on April 25, 1798.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire