Five Questions with Nicole Mitchell

We are excited to have creative flutist, composer, and educator Nicole Mitchell headline our September 2025 Sunday Soundtracks! Ahead of her performance, Nicole answered five questions for us about her creative approach and activities. Here’s what she had to say:

1. You emerged from Chicago’s music scene in the 90s, which makes sense knowing your experimental approach to music. What’s in the water there and how would you say the city shaped you?

When I moved to Chicago in the early 90's I felt a sense of freedom and belonging in the Black community that I hadn't experienced anywhere else in my youth. People I didn't even know expressed care and curiosity about me, and right away I met other artists of all backgrounds doing music, poetry, dance, and visual art with similar vision.

There's a unique legacy in the air of unlimited imagination that was built by previous explorers including Sun Ra, AfriCOBRA, Third World Press, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), so I was in a place that I could explore and experiment without feeling a sense of rejection.

In Chicago, there are numerous green spaces providing beauty, and another essential was Congo Beach, which provided an open invitation to improvise with drummers on any summer day. The New Apartment Lounge and Velvet Lounge were schools of creative music where you could hear the sounds of great minds almost any night. The apartments in Chicago are quite large and most neighbors didn't complain, which allowed us to rehearse to our heart’s content. All of these influences were crucial to my artistic development. 

2. How does electronic music/instrumentation fit with the narratives that inspire you as an artist? Does it simply expand your palette or does it bring something more to the table?

Great question! Experimentation is core to my being, and it took a while for me to get involved with electronics because I was a bit intimidated by it! Over the years, I've been so inspired by the electronics of artists Val Jeanty, Ras G, and Damon Locks, who each individually encouraged me to take the leap!

What really started everything was Moog. In 2018, they invited me to play the Moogfest in Durham, and they wanted me to do a durational concert. That was my baptism by fire moment! My dad was an electronics engineer. It would have been so cool to collaborate with him on something, but I didn't start experimenting on electronics until after he died. 

3. How many courses/classes do you teach at UVA and what do your students get into?

I teach courses and work with grad students individually in the Composition and Computer Technologies PhD program. I also teach courses for undergrads. This semester I'm teaching a grad course called Composing for Improvisers, and I'm working with undergrads in my Creative Music Ensemble. At times I also teach an African Futurism class that introduces students to music, film, writing, fashion and art from the African Diaspora, and I've taught several jazz courses including Jazz Today, Women in Jazz. 

4. As you travel the world making music, how frequently do you encounter electronic music communities? Have you made inroads into Charlottesville’s larger musical scene outside of UVA?

When traveling overseas, I've met and heard Maria Chavez, King Britt, Ikue Mori, and collaborated with Moor Mother, Rob Mazurek, and Jamika Ajalon. I'm still getting to know the Charlottesville and Richmond areas and very excited to perform at Révéler on this series!!

5. Without giving too much away, what can we expect from your performance?

Expect some silliness, some weird sounds and some stuff from the heart manifested through electronics, flutes, and vocals.