Don Chilton

Don Chilton is a professional trumpeter and conch shell player based in Newport, Rhode Island. Following a distinguished 26-year career as a U.S. Navy trumpet instrumentalist Don has become known for his playing of various seashell horns. His conch shell playing can be heard throughout the soundtrack of Reese Witherspoon's production of Where the Crawdads Sing composed by academy award winning composer, Mychael Danna. Don has a number of self produced music videos; including, his original composition Seashell Serenade which received numerous accolades; including an honorable mention at the 2024 Humro Cinema International Film Festival and the 2024 Casablanca Independent Film Festival. Additionally, Seashell Serenade is a semi-finalist in the Hawaii International Film Awards and the Nashville Independent Filmmakers Festival.

Don is in high demand with several live bands; including, Down City Band and The Winehouse Project. He routinely records from his home studio collaborating with many artists throughout the country. He also records and releases his own compositions and arrangements. Don has performed at the Newport Jazz Festival and with many great musicians including William Cepeda, Crocodile River Music, The Temptations, Barrington "Bo" Henderson, Theo Peoples, Danny Klein's Full House, Brooke Shields, Mike Mossman, Greg Abate and many more. He is a long time member and leader of the Larry Brown Swinglane Orchestra.

Don Chilton completed his teacher certification at the University of Rhode Island and is the band director and general music teacher at Thompson Middle School in Newport, Rhode Island.