Nicole Mitchell

A “Widely Praised Soloist” (Chicago Tribune), Nicole Mitchell is one
of few African American women to take the path as a creative
instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. As a jazz flutist, she has
been a Downbeat magazine’s Critic’s Poll winner for Rising Star
Flutist from 2001-2004. Her life is dedicated to sharing the
spiritual power of music in an effort to create visionary worlds and
to bring healing.

An exciting younger member of the Association for the advancement of
Creative Musicians (AACM), Mitchell explores new sounds and creative
techniques as a flutist and as a composer. She has performed with
world-renowned musicians including George Lewis, James Newton, Leroy
Jenkins, Ari Brown, Jeff Parker and Malachi Favors. Mitchell also
works in ongoing projects with Hamid Drake, David Boykin, Harrison
Bankhead, Ed Wilkerson Jr. and Arveeayl Ra.

Since 2001, Nicole Mitchell has performed in international cities of
Milan, Bologna, Rome, Verona, Paris, Beirut, and Munich. She also
performed at the Moscow Jazz Festival and in Yaroslavo, Russia and
brought her celebrated group Black Earth Ensemble to perform in the
Nouve Forme Festival in Verona. In the U.S., Mitchell has performed
in New York, Minneapolis, and at various festivals and art venues
throughout the Midwest, including the Chicago Jazz Festival, the
African Festival of the Arts, the Chicago Symphony Center, The Chicago
Cultural Center, the HotHouse, The Walker Art Center and the Velvet
Lounge.

Black Earth Ensemble is a forum for Mitchell’s compositions and
creative vision. Black Earth is a multi-genre celebration of the
African American cultural legacy. Mitchell’s compositions embrace the
ancient past and paint visions of a positive future, interweaving the
feelings of blues, bebop, swing, eastern modes, classical melodies and
African rhythms.