Tom Hutchinson is the principal cornet player of the world famous Cory Band and Besson Artist. 

Tom began learning the cornet at the age of nine and joined his local brass band, Stannington. As an early teenager he joined Barnsley Building Society Band and quickly ascended to the position of principal cornet. Tom’s first taste of playing ‘top man’ in a championship section band happened a few years later, aged fifteen, when he joined the Rothwell Temperance Band.

During these formative years Tom also played solo cornet with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain including two courses as Leader. It was the Band’s Associate Conductor, Dr Nicholas Childs, who noticed his talent and later invited him to join the world famous Black Dyke Band.

Tom played for ‘Dyke’ on repiano cornet and, at the age of eighteen, was promoted to tutti solo cornet. He played with Black Dyke for four years, contributing to many contest successes, including the British Open, English National and National Championship of Great Britain titles. During his time with ‘Dyke’ he also toured extensively across Europe and Australia.

After his graduation from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2009 studying under Richard Marshall, Tom was invited to join the mighty Cory Band as principal cornet. After leading the band in his first year to its hat-trick winning European title in 2010, he has since lead Cory to British Open titles in 2011 and 2016, Welsh regional titles in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017, Brass in Concert Championship wins in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, the European title once again in 2013 and 2016, and three National Final wins in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

A few highlights of his time so far at Cory have been receiving the bands player of the year award twice in 2012 and 2015, releasing his debut solo CD ‘In Principal’, and leading Cory to its historic Grand Slam achievement in 2016, with the band finishing off the year as the world’s No.1 ranked brass band for a consecutive and unprecedented ten years.

As well as playing principal cornet with the Cory band, he is a Professor of Cornet at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Brass specialist with Ev-entz Music, Cornet tutor for the National Youth Brass Band of Wales and Cornet tutor for the National Children’s Brass Band of Great Britain.

As a Besson artist Tom represents the Buffet Crampon Group across the world and over the past few years has performed as a soloist in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the USA.