Phil Lyons, Visionary Champion of Classical Music, Has Died

Phil Lyons and his wife, Mary, became the largest endowment donors to both Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale, cementing their place as pillars of Orange County’s arts community.

The Orange County arts community deeply mourns the loss of Phil Lyons, an extraordinary philanthropist whose visionary generosity transformed the region’s cultural landscape.

Lyons died recently after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Mary and their children and grandchildren.

Alongside Mary, Phil spent more than six decades nurturing, expanding, and securing the future of classical music in Southern California.