Tom Coult

Tom Coult is a Professor of Composition at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Since 2021, he has served as Composer-in-Association with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, producing works performed by leading orchestras worldwide. His opera Violet (2022), co-written with Alice Birch, received critical acclaim and multiple awards, including the International Opera Award and South Bank Sky Arts Award. Coult’s compositions blend playful and seductive elements with rigorous craft, spanning orchestral, chamber, vocal, and operatic works.

Education:

• Bachelor’s/Master’s studies at University of Manchester (with Camden Reeves and Philip Grange)
• King’s College London (with George Benjamin)
• Trinity College Cambridge (Visiting Fellow Commoner, 2017–2019)

Research Interests: Coult explores transformation of historical musical forms (e.g., Byzantine chants, Baroque lute pieces) into modernist frameworks. His works often involve textural experimentation, collaborative storytelling, and interdisciplinary approaches.

Awards:

• Paul Hamlyn Award for Artists
• Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund Prize
• Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize
• International Opera Award (Violet)

Grants & Labs: He has been Composer-in-Residence at Aldeburgh Festival, Musikdorf Ernen Festival, and Oxford Lieder Festival. His work is frequently commissioned by institutions like BBC Proms, Lucerne Festival, and Britten Pears Arts.