Phillip Magness received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas. For several years he divided his time between freelance piano work, college teaching, and part-time work as a church musician. In 1993 he was appointed to his first full-time cantorate at Trinity Lutheran in Peoria. From 2000-2012 he served at Bethany Lutheran Church and School in Naperville, IL. Today he serves at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Tinley Park, IL.

Phillip's work outside the parish includes composing for Liturgy Solutions and serving as Secretary of the Board for International Mission for the LCMS. He also serves as Cantor for Doxology retreats and is has taught seminars on the French edition of the LSB (Liturgies et Cantiques Luthériens) in Canada and Africa. He was active with the Lutheran Hymnal Project, which assembled the Lutheran Service Book (LSB), and was chairman of the LSB Introduction Committee. LSB contains several of his compositions, including the tune UNION CITY ("If Christ Had Not Been Raised From Death" - LSB 486)) and the OT canticle in the new Service of Prayer and Preaching ("The Lord God is My Strength and My Song"). Phillip is the composer of the song cycle setting Luther's Small Catechism to music published by CPH, "Sing the Faith." His wife, Cheryl, is an accomplished choral accompanist. The Magnesses are a homeschooling family with three children: Trevor, Caitlin, and Evan. Trevor, their oldest, is now studying piano performance with Paul Barnes at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.