by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | Mar 21, 2023
Joshua Jenkins has been playing the piano since he was seven years old and began performing in public at the age of twelve. A proud alum of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, he holds a Bachelor of Music from Temple University, where he also majored in Spanish. Alongside fellow Ellington students, he performed on stage at the Kennedy Center and Strathmore Music Center with such artists as Ledisi, Patti LaBelle, and Sting. While studying in Philadelphia, he gave various classical solo and chamber recitals and worked with several jazz ensembles.
An ever-growing multi-instrumentalist, Joshua studied pipe organ for several years under the tutelage of organist Clyde T. Parker, having performed numerous times on this instrument at People’s Congregational Church in Washington, DC. Joshua was the Jazz Ensemble Director of CAAPA (the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts) from 2018 to 2020. He has a keen interest in Afro-Cuban drumming and has visited Cuba several times to conduct research and take lessons.
Supported in part by Daniel & Sarah Gallagher♪, HelenLouise Pettis♪, and Tina & Arthur Lazerow
♪Strathmore graciously thanks our Artist in Residence Champions for their multi-year commitment and above-and-beyond support to the AIR program.
Learn more about the AIR program and the Class of 2023.
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | Oct 4, 2021
Flutist Ceylon Mitchell and friends present works honoring the musical heritage of Cuba and Brazil. Brazilian choro is a musical genre with roots in African syncopated rhythms and European dance forms, including the lundú, the polka, and the habanera, creating a very unique style. The improvisatory nature of choro mirrors that of North American jazz and virtuosity is a hallmark of the style. The Cuban flute tradition represents dance music at the heart of Cuban national and cultural identity with flute, piano, strings, and Cuban percussion as the core ensemble. Starting with the danzón and extending to other genres like the cha cha cha, mambo, and salsa, its elements include centuries-old European court dances, rhythmic complexity based on the clave pattern from the African Congo Basin, and a flute ornamentation style similar to the late-Baroque and early-Classical flute traditions.
Ceylon will also participate in a brief conversation about his work and talk a little about how the pandemic has changed or charged his practice as an artist and as a marketer.
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | Oct 3, 2021
An Arts Integration program of Latin music. The ensemble includes Fran Vielma on percussion, Taisha Estrada on vocals, and Eliot Seppa on guitar.
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | May 7, 2021
Ceylon Mitchell, a 2021 Strathmore Resident Artist, brings his ensemble and their passion for the Brazilian Choro and Afro-Caribbean music to St. Mary’s County. The choro, birthed in Rio de Janeiro in the mid 19th century, has its roots in African syncopated rhythms and European dance forms, including the lundú, the polka, and the habanera – an intriguing musical blend. The program also includes chamber music by Afro-Cuban composers.
by Dr. Ceylon Mitchell II | May 5, 2021
Just as the notes from his flute fly and float on air, Ceylon Mitchell is always in motion. This musician, educator, entrepreneur, and arts advocate is driven by his mission of keeping classical music alive, authentic, and accessible with programming and performances that promote traditionally marginalized communities, especially Black and Latinx cultural identities.
Originally from Alaska, this new dad is currently a Doctor of Musical Arts student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Mitchell is the recipient of a Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council Artist Fellowship Grant and a Prince George’s County Forty Under 40 Award in Arts and Humanities.
