Michael Cox enjoys a rich and varied musical life. He was Principal Flute of the London Symphony Orchestra for five years before moving to the BBC Symphony Orchestra, where he has been for nearly twenty years. Furthermore, he is the solo flutist of two top UK chamber orchestras: the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the London Mozart Players. He has appeared as a soloist on every continent and has recorded numerous concertos, recitals and chamber music CDs under Sony, Naxos and EMI labels among others. A world-renowned artist, Michael Cox has been asked to play at festivals in Japan, Australia, Singapore, Germany, Malaysia, Ireland, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, USA and Scotland.

His commitment to new music has led to direct collaborations with legendary composers such as Stockhausen, Boulez, Reich, Berio, Dutilleux, Adams and Takemitsu, as well as with many young composers. He has given world and UK premieres of numerous solo pieces (many of them written for him) while being a composer himself. In 2009, Michael Cox joined UK’s foremost new music ensemble, the London Sinfonietta. He also enjoys performing on period instruments and works actively in film and recording studios.

A passionate and committed teacher, Michael Cox has given classes in many parts of the world, is a professor of flute at the Royal Academy of Music (where many of his students later earned a position in orchestras around the world) and is Artistic Director of a unique orchestral training website called Principal Chairs. With Australian flutist Joana Sullivan he is currently preparing a series of 6 method and exercise books which will take a compendious overview of all aspects of flute playing. Michael Cox plays on Altus Flutes and is an international artist for the brand.