Philip Norman has been a full-time freelance musician and composer since 1978.
He has had work commissioned and performed by a cross section of New Zealand performing Arts organisations including the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Royal New Zealand Ballet Co, National Youth Choir, New Zealand Choral Federation, Chamber Music New Zealand, Canterbury Opera, Court Theatre, Fortune Theatre Christchurch Symphony, Southern Ballet Dance and Theatre Co. and many more. His output totals nearly 200 compositions. He has also had work performed in over a dozen countries abroad, including the recent premiere of a guitar concerto in Siberia.

He has collaborated with many New Zealand writers, principally Roger Hall (five musicals including Footrot Flats, Love Off The Shelf, Dirty Weekends) AK Grant (three musicals, two song cycles, chamber opera), Fiona Farrell (chamber opera), Gavin Bishop (two ballets for Royal New Zealand ballet) Margaret Mahy (two song cycles massed choirs and orchestra), Ken Hudson (a musical and a musical play) and Michaelanne Forster (work for narrator and orchestra). He has also composed five ballets, including Peter Pan ?and A Christmas Carol ,for the Royal New Zealand Ballet Co in collaboration with choreographer Russell Kerr.

A PhD graduate in musicology he is a past President of the Composers Association of New Zealand. He has recently completed a biography on New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn.

Awards include:
Citation for Services to New Zealand Music (Composers Association of New Zealand 1989).
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal (NZ Govt 1990),
Trust Bank Community Trust Arts Excellence Award 1996.