Tilly Coulton is a flute player, improviser, and teacher from Devon, UK. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (BMus 2022), and Royal College of Music (MPerf 2024), her skills range from orchestral playing and solo/chamber recitals to contemporary/experimental music and improvisation.
 

Successful in her solo endeavors, Tilly has been awarded the ABRSM Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award (2022), John MacGregor Flute Prize (2022), as well as achieving first prize in both the RCS Concerto Competition and RCS Governor’s Recital Prize for Woodwind within the same week (2022). In 2022, Tilly had her solo recital debut accompanied by the world-class pianist Tim Carey, and in 2024, her concerto debut playing Michael Daugherty’s Trail of Tears for flute and chamber orchestra.
 

Tilly has played in schemes alongside the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal National Orchestra of Scotland, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Scottish Opera, as well as being principal flute for the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland in 2022. Her most recent orchestral performances include
Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie at the Royal Festival Hall, and John Adams’ Hamonielehre at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
 

A keen supporter of contemporary and experimental music, Tilly is Creative Director and principal flute player of the contemporary ensemble standard issue: a group that prioritises inclusivity, accessibility, and bringing music by living composers to new audiences. Previous projects also include Ensemble Modern’s Young Ensemble Academy (2024), Hylozoic/Desires - An Omniscience: an atmos-etheric, transnational, interplanetary, cosmist bird opera, spanning seven continents and
the many verses (bass flute) performed at the Finish National Opera (2024), Sound and Music UK Ensemble in Residence (2024), Birmingham Contemporary Music Group’s NEXT Programme (2023-24), Floating Worlds: ”The Seaweed Gatherers” by Daryl Jamieson (composer) and Graham Eatough (theatre director) (2022), and performing free improvisations regularly with the London Improvisers Orchestra and others.

With thanks to South Brent Feofees and the Brent Singers for their support.