Janet Hilton

FRCM, ARMCM

Clarinet professor

During a distinguished international career as a leading British clarinettist, after studies in Manchester and Vienna, Janet Hilton has appeared as soloist with most major British orchestras, at festivals including Edinburgh, Cheltenham and the BBC Promenade Concerts, and in many European countries, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

Janet’s substantial discography on the Chandos and other labels includes all the clarinet works by Weber, the Clarinet Sonatas and Clarinet Quintet by Brahms, the Mozart Quintet and Kegelstatt Trio, the Clarinet Quintet by Sir Arthur Bliss, concertos by Malcolm Arnold, Copland, Finzi, Nielsen, Stanford and four concertos written for her by British composers.

She had a long association on record and in the concert hall with the Lindsay String Quartet and has also recorded with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Naxos published her recording of the three clarinet sonatas by Max Reger with pianist Jakob Fichert. A programme of music for solo clarinet, entitled Flying Solo, is published on the Clarinet and Saxophone Classics label.

Also a leading international teacher, for twelve years Janet Hilton was Head of Woodwind at the Royal College of Music, where she is still a professor of clarinet. Although interrupted in 2020, her international concert and masterclass tours have in recent years taken her three times to Australia and to Singapore, Hong Kong and China.

Faculties / departments: Woodwind