Ashton Latimer

Ashton Latimer (b. 2006) is a Canadian composer living in Vancouver, British Columbia, inspired by the textures and sound worlds that can be created by acoustic instruments. Through this exploration, he has begun to earn recognition through awards, competitions, and performances of his work.

His orchestral work Purification was awarded the SOCAN Young Composer Award in the Under 21 Large Ensemble category and was selected for the 2024 Hugh Davidson Composer Readings with the Victoria Symphony. In 2025, he completed his piece Overflow for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra as part of the Jean Coulthard Readings, where he is also engaged in a six-month mentorship. In addition, Purification was a finalist in the Edmonton Pops Composer Competition, and his string quartet Ghost Ballerina won the senior category of the Langley String Quartet Competition.

Ashton has written for a wide range of ensembles, including symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber groups, and solo instruments. His recent work Emergence and Infestation premiered at the Southeast Horn Workshop at Appalachian State University. His music has been performed by musicians such as the Sonorous Trio, the Rose Gellert String Quartet, UNCSA Viola and Horn Ensembles, and recorded by percussionist Ksenija Komljenović.

Alongside composing, Ashton is a dedicated French horn player. He has performed with the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, BCMEA Honour Wind Ensemble, the Kiwanis Celebration Band, and the Fraser Valley Wind Ensemble. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Composition at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studies composition with Jared Miller and horn with Maria Serkin and Wyatt Gibson.