Phil Galdston
Director of Songwriting, Music Professor of Songwriting
Music and Performing Arts Professions
Phil Galdston is a songwriter/producer whose many and varied efforts have made him one of the few in the field to score hits on virtually every major Billboard chart. Over 175 million copies of his songs and productions have appeared on more than 110 million records worldwide in recordings by artists ranging from Celine Dion to Sheryl Crow, from Chicago to Beyoncé, from Brandy to Esperanza Spalding, from Yolanda Adams to Kurt Elling. Among his many successes is "Save the Best For Last," recorded by Vanessa Williams, which simultaneously topped Billboard's three major charts, was nominated for a GRAMMY® as Song of the Year, and was ASCAP's Song of the Year.
Phil has worn many hats in music and the music community. In addition to his ongoing songwriting and producing, he is or has been a music publisher, film and TV composer, film and TV music supervisor, producer of comedy records and videos, theatrical producer, playwright, and volunteer leader at The Recording Academy and ASCAP. He was Songwriter-in-Residence at the Berklee College of Music and was appointed the first member of the Songwriting Faculty at NYU Steinhardt and the first Faculty Songwriter-in-Residence in NYU’s history. He is the founder, curator, and moderator of WORDS & MUSIC, conversations with the great songwriters, where his guests have included many of the most important practitioners of the art and craft of song, and a curator/moderator of Steinhardt’s FRIDAY@1, a weekly series of conversations with musical luminaries. He is a co-founder of MusicAnswers, a pure voice for songwriters, composers, performers, and producers.
Phil is the recipient of the Grand Prize of the American Song Festival, the Time For Peace Award, two Nashville Songwriters' Association citations, Cable ACE and DOVE Award nominations, four ASCAP awards, five GRAMMY® nominations, the Time For Peace Award, the Gold Award from Parents’ Choice, a Gold Award from Mom’s Choice, a CD of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine, the Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award, a Family Choice Award, and NYU’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award and Teaching Excellence Award. His work has appeared on recordings that have received 20 GRAMMY nominations or Awards.