Born in Switzerland and growing up in Germany and different parts of Switzerland, saxophonist Phil Hilfiker was introduced to music through recorder lessons at an early age. Classical piano training and a regular participation in various school choirs eventually led him to pick up the alto saxophone around the age of 15.
While Phil's piano skills provided for opportunities to perform in classical piano recitals and enabled him to land a first paid gig playing arrangements of Beatles songs and other pop tunes, the saxophone soon became Phil's instrument of choice.
Under the guidance of his high school saxophone teacher Fritz Renold (a former faculty member of Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music), Phil was able to gain a hands-on introduction to the jazz tradition and benefitting from his high school's music program, he immediately immersed himself into the music by participating in a variety of ensembles: from the small jazz group over the school's Big Band all the way to free improvisation. As a member of these various musical groups, performance opportunities arose regularly throughout Switzerland and even in neighboring Italy. Around this time, Phil also began performing as saxophonist with local bands in styles ranging from jazz to soul, funk and pop.

In 1995, Phil was chosen as alto saxophonist for the then newly established Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra, a national big band project that is assembled annually from among the most promising young jazz performers throughout Switzerland (history of the SYJO). As a regular member of this formation throughout the following four years, Phil was given the opportunity to perform at various festivals and in concert halls throughout Switzerland, performing alongside such highly regarded jazz artists as Benny Golson, Randy Brecker , Bob Berg , Adam Nussbaum, Jerry Bergonzi, Christian Jacob, Mike Richmond,  e.a.

As a male citizen graduating from high school in Switzerland, Phil was faced with the mandatory service in the Swiss Army. Eager to be able to continue practicing and playing, he successfully auditioned for service with one of the armed forces' military bands, in which he performed on baritone saxophone during four months of basic training throughout Switzerland and took part in a recording for the Swiss music label Amos.

Early in 1996, Phil decided that he wanted to further his musical knowledge and therefore traveled to Paris, where auditions for the renowned Berklee College of Music were being held.
As a result of his audition, Phil was offered a scholarship to attend the school and he consequently relocated to Boston to begin his studies at Berklee in the fall of 1996. Phil graduated from Berklee College of Music in December of 1999 with a B.M. degree in Performance.

After spending some time working as a freelance saxophonist in the New England region, Phil accepted an offer to serve as a graduate assistant in the jazz program of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH in the fall of 2000. Throughout the following two years, Phil taught and pursued graduate studies in music at UNH and earned his M.A. degree from the university in the summer of 2002.

 
Phil recently relocated to Paris, France, where he is currently active as a freelance performer and serves as faculty member of the American School of Modern Music.

Phil has appeared on Swiss National Television, local radio stations in both Switzerland and the United States, and has performed at Jazz Festivals and in concert halls and other live music venues throughout the U.S., Switzerland, Sweden, and Italy.