Assistant Professor of Flute - University of Massachusetts Amherst, Principal Flute - Boulder Chamber Orchestra
19.5K CUSTOM FLUTE, In-line, d-sharp roller, C-sharp trill, 19.5K headjoint, N cut, 18K wall
South African-born flutist Cobus du Toit has been praised for his “technical facility that makes everything look easy” (Opus Colorado) and “rich tone that is especially impressive” (Herald-Tribune). Pretoria News declared: “du Toit makes you believe the impossible. With du Toit in flight one is never aware of technique alone. He is driven by purely musical inspiration.”
Du Toit combines artistic excellence with social engagement through his work in performance, chamber music, pedagogy, and commissioning. His creative projects have been showcased at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art alongside Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Natasha Bedingfield, and featured at the ITAC6 Conference in Oslo, Norway. His recital initiative #WeBringFlowers brings together six composers to address societal violence through contemplation, creating “rooms of peace” that transform listening into reflection and renewal. These commissions are featured on his solo album From the Rooftop, released on Neuma Records, a deeply personal addition to the flute repertoire.
Du Toit’s recording projects reflect his dedication to expanding the flute’s voice and championing new music. He recorded three albums of the complete flute works of Jacques Castérède for the Naxos label, a landmark contribution to documenting the composer’s output. His albums Tríptico (with guitarist Patrick Sutton) and Mythavian (with pianist Doreen Lee) include first recordings of underrepresented repertoire that further broaden the flute’s contemporary repertoire. As a founding member of the wind-chamber collective Bandwidth, he appears on the ensemble’s debut album Where Songs Go at Night (Neuma Records), which features five contemporary pieces written for the group during the pandemic era.
As a concerto soloist, du Toit has appeared with orchestras around the globe, including the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, International Symphony Orchestra “Taurida” (St. Petersburg, Russia), Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, Boulder Philharmonic, and Boulder Chamber Orchestra, where he served as Principal Flute from 2010 to 2025. Additional orchestral experience includes performances with the Springfield Symphony (MA) and Colorado Symphony, as well as a recording with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra on composer Jimmy López Bellido’s Symphonic Canvas (MSR Classics). He has concertized extensively across South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, Germany, France, Ecuador, Norway, Malaysia, Panama, and the United States.
As an educator and arts administrator, du Toit serves as Associate Professor of Flute and Associate Department Chair at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and formerly as Director of Artistic Planning at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where he played a key role in programming and community partnerships. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of the South African Flute Festival, launching in 2026 in Pretoria and Stellenbosch, and also founded and directs the annual Western Massachusetts Flute Festival, established in 2016.
He earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of Pretoria under John Hinch, and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Flute Performance & Pedagogy from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studied with Christina Jennings. Du Toit is a Wm. S. Haynes Artist, performing on a handmade 19.5K Haynes flute.