About Scott Tinkler
Born 1965. Scott Tinkler is an Australian trumpeter.
Scott Tinkler (born 1965, Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian trumpeter and composer. Tinkler has done a range of projects with the composer and violinist John Rodgers, working in ensembles such as Ellision, Hydromus Krysogast and the Antripodean Collective. Notably, Rodgers composed Glass, a concerto featuring Tinkler as soloist performed with the London Sinfonietta, which premiered at the 2010 Adelaide Festival of Arts.
He plays regularly in Australia in duos, trios and quartets with musicians including Marc Hannaford, Simon Barker, Paul Grabowsky, Erkki Veltheim, Ken Eadie and Carl Dewhurst. Tinkler is also involved in an ongoing solo project that uses extended and prepared techniques; his first solo trumpet album called Backwards was released by Extreme in 2007, followed by the self-released album Goose to Goose in 2021. He is a founding member and previous Associate Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra
Career
1990s In the early 1990s, Tinkler performed and studied with Australian tenor saxophonist, Mark Simmonds, who had studied with George Coleman in New York. Simmonds introduced Tinkler to extended practice on the cycle of 5ths using many harmonic substitutions involving the diminished substitution theory, rhythm cycles and polyrhythms as a basis for his highly fuelled jazz-based music, which can be traced to earlier developments by John Coltrane.
Throughout Tinkler's career he has been interested in not only exploring and developing improvised music stemming from jazz, but also other forms of music and the cultures they come from. This has led to musical collaborations with Indian and Korean musicians, as well as with indigenous musicians from Australia.
Beginning in 1995, Tinkler's involvement with Indian Carnatic musicians (led by Guru Kaaraikkudi) has evolved into a longstanding and deep association. Tinkler has travelled to India five times for performances, as well as touring Australia and Europe with the project.
2000s Tinkler has collaborated with a range of international artists over the past decade including Jason Moran, Tim Berne, Mark Helias, Anthony Burr, Tony Buck, Oscar Noriega and Han Bennink.
In 2003 Tinkler travelled with his longtime associate Paul Grabowsky to New York to record an album of Grabowsky's original music with Branford Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Ed Schuller and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Tales of Time and Space was released on the Warner label to stunning reviews, many highlighting Tinkler's unique contribution to Grabowsky's music.
In 2006 Tinkler attended the Garma Festival, which celebrates the cultural inheritance of the Yolngu People, the indigenous Australians of Northeast Arnhem Land. The festival is held at Gulkula, near Yirrkala in the Australian outback. At this festival Tinkler collaborated with musicians from the Wagalik group, performing and workshopping. Tinkler has since been involved in touring and performing with these musicians in collaboration with the Australian Art Orchestra.
Personal life Tinkler is married to the Australian artist Veronica Kent. They live on a remote island in Tasmania, Australia.
Discography Albums + List of albums, with selected details Title Details Hop to the Cow (as Scott Tinkler Quartet) Released: 1995 Format: CD Label: ORiGiN (OR 013) Dance of Delulian Released: 1996 Format: CD Label: ORiGiN (OR028) In Future Today (as Chaplin/Tinkler/Rex/Lambie) Released: 1998 Format: CD Label: Jazzhead (MUSH33082.2) Sofa King Released: 1998 Format: CD Label: Buzz-Records (ZZ 76001) Made By Mates (Victor De Boo featuring Dale Barlow & Scott Tinkler) Released: 1998 Format: CD Label: Disckus Records (DP 012) Sofa King (as Scott Tinkler Trio) Released: 2000 Format: CD Label: Scott Tinkler Trio (1999SL) Lost Thoughts (with Simon Barker) Released: 2007 Format: CD Label: Kimnara Records (NARA008) Backwards Released: 2007 Format: CD Label: Extreme (XCD 058) Ordinary Madness (with Marc Hannaford, Tim Berne, Simon Barker & Philip Rex) Released: 2012 Format: CD Label: Extreme (XCD 058) Faceless Dullard (with Marc Hannaford & Simon Barker) Released: March 2013 Format: CD Label: Marchon (004) Improvisations and Comprovisations (with Michael Hannan & Mic Deacon) Released: 2013 Format: CD Label: Wirripang – (Wirr 051) Faceless Dullard (with Erkki Veltheim & Marc Hannaford) Released: November 2013 Format: CD Label: self-released Live in Mumbai (James Ryan featuring Steve Hunter, Ken Edie & Scott Tinkler ) Released: 2020 Format: CD Label: Rippa Recordings (RR1007) The Scotts (with Scott McConnachie) Released: 2020 Format: Digital Label: self-released Two Part Interventions (with Erkki Veltheim) Released: 2020 Format: Digital Label: self-released WILLIWAW (with Jenny Barnes) Released: 2021 Format: Digital Label: self-released Goose to Goose Released: 2021 Format: Digital Label: self-released
Awards ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. 1997 Dance of Delulian (as Scott Tinkler Trio)
1998 In Future Today (as Chaplin, Tinkler, Rex, Lambie) 1999 Sofa King (as Scott Tinkler Trio)
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Important facts
People in Scott Tinkler's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Scott Tinkler's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Scott Tinkler?
Australian trumpeter
When was Scott Tinkler born?
Scott Tinkler was born in 1965.
What is Scott Tinkler's occupation?
Scott Tinkler is a trumpeter.
What nationality is Scott Tinkler?
Scott Tinkler is Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Scott Tinkler. https://biography.guide/scott-tinkler/
MLA: "Scott Tinkler." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/scott-tinkler/.
Chicago: "Scott Tinkler." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/scott-tinkler/.
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