Rahmaan Phillip in a wide-brim hat and round sunglasses at a presidential event, the podium behind him.
RP — 032 / About Vol IV — The Builder Las Vegas, NV → Vietnam

Rahmaan Phillip.

Violinist Violist Composer Builder
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02 / 06 Origin — In his words
Rahmaan Phillip backstage before a performance.
Backstage, between sets.
…It made my career very difficult, emotionally and psychologically. “Am I crazy? Do my peers not like me? Am I on the right track?” In a way, it all paid off. It forced me out of my comfort zone — to explore avenues outside strictly “classical” music, and to be self-reliant. Having nobody to lean on for advice forced me to outwork everyone. Trial and error became my strategy. Relentless drive became my style. I was hungry, and more or less alone. That turned out to be an advantage I’m grateful for.

— Rahmaan Phillip · Recorded May 2026

03 / 06 The chameleon — Vegas to the world stage

A chameleon on any stage.

Grammy stage. Davos keynote. Sunday Night Football. A residency on the Strip.

Las Vegas residencies

Bellagio BELLAGIO The Venetian THE VENETIAN The Palazzo THE PALAZZO Paris Las Vegas PARIS LAS VEGAS Planet Hollywood PLANET HOLLYWOOD MGM Grand MGM GRAND Mandalay Bay MANDALAY BAY New York-New York NEW YORK · NEW YORK The Cromwell THE CROMWELL

Las Vegas residencies: Bellagio, The Venetian, The Palazzo, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York, and The Cromwell.

10Viola since age 10
20+Countries toured
4Continents
2019Gaga residency, present
2024School founded, Da Nang

Rahmaan picked up the viola at 10 and the violin in college — last-chair and indifferent, until a high-school trip to Carnegie Hall turned a hobby into a calling.

He came up the Las Vegas way: a lounge act playing solo covers, then residencies across the Strip. That bandstand education made him a chameleon, able to slide into any genre and any room. It carried him from casino lounges to the Grammy stage with Lady Gaga, to Imagine Dragons, to 20+ countries on 4 continents — adapting to each, disappearing into none.

Rahmaan Phillip performing on stage under dramatic light.
On stage — the chameleon at work.
Rahmaan Phillip performing with the orchestra during the Las Vegas residency.
The Las Vegas residency — 2019 to present.

Shared the stage with

Lady Gaga · Imagine Dragons · Jennifer Hudson · Chaka Khan · Gwen Stefani · Demi Lovato & more

Performed for

President Joe Biden · The Dalai Lama · President Jimmy Carter · Quincy Jones

04 / 06 The Builder — Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng
Rahmaan Phillip at the Phillip Violins booth in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Phillip Violins — Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng.

Then he built the shop.

In 2024 he founded Phillip Violins in Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng — Central Vietnam’s first and only full-service violin shop. Setups and repairs by a trained luthier; lessons for students from age 5.

It’s the most unlikely line on the résumé, and the one he’s proudest of: an American-trained musician building a string culture from scratch, half a world from the Strip.

Visit Phillip Violins
05 / 06 The Composer — What’s next

Now he writes.

When he isn’t on a stage, he’s composing — chamber music for the instrument that rarely gets the lead: solo viola, viola and piano, string quartet, small ensemble. Next on the desk: symphonic work, and scores for film and television.

Rahmaan Phillip with his viola.
The viola — and what comes next.
If I don’t write it, it will never get written.— Rahmaan Phillip
06 / 06 Press — Selected

Las Vegas Review-Journal

"The gorgeous orchestral production consistently trumps the towering transformer."

2023 · Kats — Jazz + Piano · Read →

Intel · CES keynote

"A live violin walked the audience through the keynote in a way no demo could."

2024 · CES keynote — watch →

OMO Podcast

"An American-trained luthier — inspiring young minds to become musicians in Da Nang, Vietnam."

2021 · Ep. 32 — The Great Covid Escape · Listen →

Press kit

Full EPK · hi-res portraits · long-form bio · selected press · contact sheet.

On request — email →