Originally from Erlanger, Kentucky, Tyler Wilkins joined the Hartford Symphony Orchestra as third bassoon/contrabassoon in 2025. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University and both Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Bill Winstead of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Tyler is currently a member of the bassoon section of the United States Coast Guard Band in New London, CT, and has also performed with orchestras such as the Dayton Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Cape Symphony. An advocate for the contraforte — a rarely-seen modern evolution of the contrabassoon — he has released a solo album on that instrument, The Machine Who Longs to Be Human, available on all major streaming platforms.

Also a jazz saxophonist, Tyler is a founding member of the Sean Nelson Jazz Orchestra (formerly The New London Big Band), which has recorded two studio albums and performed across the country, including appearances at The Hallowed Halls in Portland, OR, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, and numerous venues throughout Connecticut.