(b London, 3 Sept 1947). English flautist. She studied at the RCM with John Francis and at the GSM with Geoffrey Gilbert and also attended masterclasses with Marcel Moyse. She made her solo début at the Wigmore Hall in 1967. The following year she became principal flute of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, and from 1973 to 1981 she was principal flute of the RPO. Since then she has concentrated on a solo and chamber music career and on teaching. She was appointed a professor at the RCM in 1983 and travels widely to perform and to give masterclasses. From 1990 to 1994 she was chairwoman of the British Flute Society. Milan has made numerous recordings, particularly of the French repertory with which she feels a close affinity, and is the dedicatee of works by many composers, notably Robert Saxton, Richard Rodney Bennett, Robert Simpson and Roger Steptoe. Her strongly projected playing is characterized by its rich tone and romantically expressive style.
EDWARD BLAKEMAN