He was a violinist and teacher born Stephen Barnett Shipps who studied at Indiana University where he earned both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees and took further training at the Meadowmount School and in Italy at the Academia Chigiana.
After completing his education he became a member of the Cleveland Orchestra. From there he held the position of Associate Concertmaster at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Concertmaster of the Dallas Opera Orchestra. He went on to become Concertmaster with the Ann Arbor Symphony, Omaha Symphony Orchestra and the Nebraska Sinfonia.
As a soloist he has performed with orchestras and ensembles that include the Ann Arbor Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Madeira Festival Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, Piedmont Chamber Orchestra and Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
Recordings he performed on include Martinu: Complete Piano Trios by Arbor Piano Trio, Helena Freire Plays David Baker’s Sonata for Piano and String Quintet by Helena Freire, Fresh Aire III, Fresh Aire 4, Christmas, A Fresh Aire Christmas and Yellowstone: The Music of Nature by Mannheim Steamroller, C.W. McCall & Co. by C.W. McCall, Antonin Dvorak: Trio in F Minor Op. 65/Trio in E Minor Op.90 by Meadowmount Trio, Classical Gas by Mason Williams and Mannheim Steamroller and Pleasure Songs for Flute by Ransom Wilson.
In the field of musical education he established the Cambridge International String Academy and was on the faculties of several universities. His career came to an abrupt end after he retired and was imprisoned for crimes of sexual misconduct in 2022.
Mannheim Steamroller recordings
Carol of the Birds(Traditional Catalonian)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Coventry Carol (Traditional English/Robert Croo/Thomas Mawdyke)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Deck the Halls (Welsh Traditional)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional/Emile Blemont/Marc-Antoine Charpentier/Louis-Denis Seguin)(English Translation: Edward Cuthbert Nunn)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone Records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Good King Wenceslas (John Mason Neale)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
I Saw Three Ships (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Wassail (Anonymous Middle Ages English/Ralph Vaughan Williams)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
We Three Kings (Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr.)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Sources:
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/872672-Steve-Shipps
- https://annarborobserver.com/steve-shipps-is-back/
- https://eu.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/03/27/u-m-violin-professor-accused-sexual-misconduct-retires/3290260002/
- https://www.thestrad.com/news/violin-professor-sentenced-to-five-years-in-jail/14764.article
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stephen-shipps-mn0002792368
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-shipps-mn0001745418