Rose Bolton grew up in the beaches in Toronto, and began her musical training on violin and piano with Terrence Helmer and Kathleen Solose. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree (Theory and Composition) from the University of Western Ontario, where she studied composition with Peter Paul Koprowski and Jack Behrens, electroacoustic music with David Myshka, and violin with Robert Skelton, and a Master of Music in Composition from McGill University, where her major professor was Denys Bouliane.
She was the first recipient of the H. C. Aitken Prize, the top award in New Music Concerts young composers' competition. As a part of that prize, she received a commission for the work Ostinato, premiered by the New Music Concerts ensemble in March of 1996.
Rose Bolton was composer-in-residence of the Canadian Electronic Ensemble from 1995 till 1998. During that time, she completed three major works as part of her residency, all of which have been premiered by the CEE.
Since 1998 she has been a member of the CEE.