Ceylon Mitchell

About the Artist

Ceylon Narvelle Mitchell II is a professional flutist, arts entrepreneur, educator, and arts advocate in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska and a graduate of East Anchorage High School, he earned a Master of Music Education degree from Boston University and a Master of Music Performance degree from the University of Maryland, in addition to a Graduate Certificate in Multimedia Journalism. Ceylon will continue his education in the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) flute program at the University of Maryland in Fall 2019. Recent achievements include the National Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, the Young Alaskan Artist Award, a 2018 Prince George’s County Forty UNDER 40 Award in Arts & Humanities, and a 2019 Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council Artist Fellowship Grant. Ceylon’s mission is keeping classical music alive, authentic, and accessible. An active freelance artist, Ceylon is the co-founder, flutist, and media manager of Potomac Winds, a chamber music collective. 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, Ceylon maintains a private studio in Maryland and serves as the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra flute choir conductor. He previously served as a teaching artist with the Boston Flute Academy and as the director of the Boston University Flute Ensemble. Ceylon supports performing artists and arts organizations with digital media production and marketing consulting as the owner and founder of M3 Music Media Marketing, LLC, a multimedia organization. Tailored services include photography, videography, and social media marketing. Recent clients include The Clarice, the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, the Boulanger Initiative, Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation, the Anchorage Festival of Music, and numerous individual artists. Ceylon seeks to equip and empower his fellow performing artists for artistic and marketing success in a 21st-century landscape. Ceylon is also an active arts advocate in the D.C. area,  serving as a board member of the Arts Administrators of Color Network and an Emerging Arts Advocates (EAA) member of Maryland Citizens for the Arts. Mentors, past and present, include Dr. Saïs Kamalidiin, Ms. Janese Sampson, Professor Leah Arsenault, Dr. William Montgomery, Professor Linda Toote, Dr. Carmen Lemoine, and Sharon Nowak of Anchorage, Alaska, his first flute teacher. Additionally, Ceylon has performed in masterclasses for professional flutists such as Aaron Goldman, Marina Piccinini, Sir James Galway, Paul Edmund-Davies, Trevor Wye, and Marianne Gedigian. He remains grateful to the entire Anchorage music community for preparing him for a promising career in the arts with encouragement and inspiration. Ceylon currently resides in Bladensburg, Maryland with his wife, Denys Symonette Mitchell.

Artist's Statement

My mission is keeping classical music alive, authentic, and accessible. A 2018 Prince George’s Forty UNDER 40 Awardee in the Arts & Humanities, I have been involved in my local arts community as a performer, ensemble leader, educator, arts entrepreneur, and arts advocate. An active freelance flutist and chamber musician, I am committed to promoting woodwind chamber music as a virtuosic and relevant artform in society through high levels of artistic expression and culturally competent performances that promote traditionally marginalized communities, especially those from African-American and Latinx identities. One of the greatest aspects of being a musician is that the art can represent my own voice and voices of other cultures across race and time, ensuring they are not forgotten. I am incredibly fortunate and blessed to possess strong artistic ability, and I find that this ability benefits me as a regular response to life situations. To think that a plastic recorder from the fourth grade began the journey and is responsible for a great deal of success and happiness in my life is beyond words. As a music educator in various teaching artist and private teaching roles, I take great pride in mentoring and influencing the next generation of young musicians. My ultimate goal is empowering and encouraging students to make music alive and applicable in their lives. Regardless of their career paths as adults, I want youth to acquire life-long skills that allow them to analyze, consume, support, and engage with art in their communities. Now and always, I remain grateful to the entire music community in Anchorage, Alaska for preparing me for a promising career in the arts with encouragement and inspiration. Like the music teachers who have made an impact in my musical development from the very beginning, I aspire to become a music professor and an active arts citizen.