BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II serves the arts ecosystem as a multi-hyphenate arts leader: contemporary classical flutist, educator, and entrepreneur. On a mission to celebrate marginalized identities in music, especially Black and brown voices, his diverse repertoire spans from Western European classical to living cultural traditions across the Americas. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Dr. Mitchell earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland School of Music, under the tutelage of Dr. Sarah Frisof. He has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall with Angélique Kidjo, the National Gallery of Art, the Music Center at Strathmore, the Arts Club of Washington, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with Robert Glasper. In the United States, Dr. Mitchell has been a guest artist at the National Flute Convention, flute societies and associations, and multiple chamber music series. Featured on The Flutist Quarterly, Voyage Baltimore, the Southern Maryland Chronicle, Canvas Rebel, and other publications, recent achievements include the Strathmore Artist in Residence Class of 2021, a Comcast RISE Program Grant, a Prince George’s County Forty UNDER 40 Award in Arts & Humanities, and numerous state and county-level artist fellowship grants. Dr. Mitchell is currently working on his debut album.

An avid chamber musician, Dr. Mitchell leads his own music collective, Raíces Negras, celebrating Black and Latine voices with repertoire spanning from contemporary classical music to contemporary Pan-American jazz and everything in between. Current groups include flute and guitar; flute, cello, and piano; a Brazilian choro ensemble, and a 12-piece modern Cuban Charanga ensemble. With a 2019 grant, this ensemble began with a classical crossover series of music performances during National Hispanic Heritage Month, exploring classical and popular flute music in the Latin American countries of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Brazil. He also co-founded the Potomac Winds woodwind quintet. Described by the University of Maryland as “magnificent, deeply moving, and a model of alumni pride,” the ensemble is committed to promoting woodwind chamber music as a virtuosic medium through engaging performances of the highest level of artistic expression.

As a music educator, Dr. Mitchell is the Flute Professor at Bowie State University as well as the Woodwinds Department Chair and a flute faculty member with Levine Music, the Washington D.C. region’s preeminent center for music education. He also serves as the Flutes on the Brink ensemble music director and Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra flute choir director since 2015. A devoted teaching artist, he has served as an ensemble director, sectional coach, adjudicator, and panelist for numerous youth orchestras, arts programs, and arts grantmakers. Dr. Mitchell deeply treasures his past music education experiences with groups such as the Boston Flute Academy (teaching artist), Boston University Flute Ensemble (director), the Gilman School (long-term band substitute), and Boston Latin School (student teacher).

As an entrepreneur for more than ten years, Dr. Mitchell supports creatives, arts organizations, and beyond with personalized multimedia production and digital marketing consulting as the co-founder, chief executive officer, and principal consultant of M3 | Mitchell Media & Marketing, LLC. M3 has served dozens of individuals, 10+ arts ensembles, and 20+ organizations of all sizes including arts service organizations, performing arts institutions, universities, and more. Tailored services include photography, videography, web design, and digital marketing. With work featured on The Washington Ballet, The Georgetowner, Shriver Hall Concert Series, and many client websites, other clients include Americans for the Arts, Washington Performing Arts, Strathmore, Craft Emergency Relief Fund, Quinteto Latino, and The Kennedy Center. Dr. Mitchell is also an active arts advocate in the D.C. area, serving as a National Flute Association Career and Artistic Development Committee member, a board member with the Flute Society of Washington, a Umoja Flute Institute marketing committee advisor, a Recording Academy Washington D.C. Chapter Professional Member, and Arts Advocates Network of Maryland (AAMN) member with Maryland Citizens for the Arts.

Mentors, past and present, include Dr. Sarah Frisof, Dr. Saïs Kamalidiin, the late Ms. Janese Sampson, Professor Leah Arsenault, Dr. William Montgomery, Professor Linda Toote, Dr. Carmen Lemoine, Ms. Ruby Lopez Harper, and the late Sharon Nowak of Anchorage, Alaska, his first flute teacher. Additionally, Dr. Mitchell has performed in masterclasses for professional flutists such as Aaron Goldman, Marina Piccinini, Carol Wincenc, Sir James Galway, Paul Edmund-Davies, Trevor Wye, and Marianne Gedigian. He remains grateful to the entire Anchorage, Alaska music community for encouraging and preparing him for a promising career in the arts from the start. Dr. Mitchell currently resides in Rockville, Maryland with his wife and two sons.

Photos by Andre C. Horton, Arts Laureate, Margot Schulmann, M3 | Mitchell Media & Marketing LLC, and Reyna Abigale.