Commissions, Awards & Fellowships
photo/art by Lauren Deutsch
2025
Induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS)
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Radical Transformation: For Angela Davis, Commissioned by the Chicago Humanities Festival
2024
Christian Broecking Award for Arts Education (Mannheim, Germany)
Top International Flutist, Jazz Magazine (Paris)
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Commission: National Flute Association for Waterways Beneath the Polar Ice Shelf
The Unwinding (flute, cello, frame drum). Commissioned by Fuse Ensemble.
2023
Academy of Arts and Letters Award
Guggenheim Fellowship
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
2022
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Fromm Commission for South Side Love Letter, Dal Niente Ensemble
Commission: Eventually, Already Now for chamber orchestra for Bang On A Can and Denardo Coleman.
2021
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Commission: Transitions (for Calvin Gantt), Kamraton Ensemble (voice, flute, violin, cello)
2020
United States Artist Award
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Community and Artistic Excellence Award, Elastic Arts, Chicago
Provost Recognition Award for development of Anti-Black Racism Course (Univ of Pittsburg)
Commission: Mothership Calling (sound installation for Afrofuturist exhibit, Oakland Museum)
Commission: A Much Deserved Ass Whooping for solo bass clarinet. Commissioned by Bang on a Can Festival.
Commission: The Way They Do Us for solo flute and electronics. Commissioned by Sons d’hiver Festival.
Commission: Birdsongs for Equitable Collaboration for any number of flutists. Commissioned by Carol Wincenc.
2019
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Jazz Excellence Award, Jazz Institute of Chicago
Commission: Cult of Electromagnetic Connectivity (flute, violin, cello, clarinet, percussion). Commissioned by Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNOW.
Commission: Decolonizing Beauty (string orchestra and percussion featuring solo flute, cello and drum set for Artifacts Trio). Commissioned by the Jazztopad Festival and the New Music Forum Orchestra Wroclaw Poland.
Commission: Spider Web (flute, electronics, piano, percussion, poetry/spoken word). Commissioned by Clockshop (Los Angeles) in collaboration with writer Joshua Kun. An exploration of race in 1970s Orange County California.
UNDO (an interdisciplinary project celebrating collision of African American and Asian American identity). Commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Premiered June at Logan Center for the Arts, Chicago. Co-creators Jonathan Woods (video) and Tatsu Aoki (music).
2018
UC Irvine Distinguished Mid-Career Faculty Award for Research
Champion of New Music Award, American Composers Forum
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Rising Star Ensemble (Black Earth), Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalist Association
Intuition (jazz ensemble). Commissioned by the Newport Jazz Festival.
2017
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
#1 Album of the Year (Mandorla Awakening), New York Times, Village Voice
Top 5 Album of the Year (Mandorla Awakening), Los Angeles Times, NPR
EarthSeed (tenor and soprano soloists, flute, trumpet, violin, cello, electronics, percussion). Commissioned by the Art Institute of Chicago, premiered June 2017. A concert length (60 min) collaborative composition with performance artist/vocalist/composer Lisa E. Harris inspired by sci-fi author Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower.
Art and Anthem: Gwendolyn Brooks. A concert length suite (60 minutes) of music for Black Earth Ensemble featuring the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks. Co-commissioned by University of Chicago’s Logan Center and the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
Maroon Cloud (flute, piano, cello, vocals) for John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series.
Bamako*Chicago Sound System (kora, balafon, two vocalists, flute, guitar, bass, percussion). Commissioned by the Hyde Park Jazz Festival & World Music Festival.
Inescapable Spiral (for open instrumentation). Commissioned by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).
They Witnessed an Unfolding. (for flute, clarinet, tuba, violin, viola and dance). Commissioned by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).
2016
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
2015
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalist Association
Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds. A suite of music (70 minutes) composed for improvisers of the following instrumentation: C flute, shakuhachi, shamisen, cello, banjo, oud, vocals, taiko drums, acoustic bass, percussion and electronics. Commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.
Black Beyond: Bamako, Chicago A suite of compositions (40 minutes duration) written specifically for Black Earth Ensemble: musicians (Mankwe Ndosi-vocals, Joshua Abrams-acoustic bass, Felton Offard-electric guitar, Jovia Armstrong-percussion, Nicole Mitchell-flute) and Malian musicians Ballake Sissoko-kora, Babani Kone-vocals, and Fassery Diabete-balafon. This suite is written with the intention to be performed alongside original compositions of Ballake Sissoko. Commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture and Royaumont Foundation (France).
Moments of Fatherhood. A suite of music (70 minute duration) composed for the collaboration of Black Earth Ensemble and the French Laborintus Ensemble. Commissioned by the French American Jazz Exchange.
2014
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalist Association
Liberation Narratives. A concert-length suite of compositions featuring the poetry of Haki R. Madhubuti (Don L. Lee). Commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago.
2013
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalist Association
When Life's Door Opens: for Creative Orchestra and Vocal Improvisers. An orchestra piece (45 minute duration) centered around Mitchell's long-form poem “When Life's Door Opens" and featuring improvising vocalists Fay Victor, Kiran Ahluwalia, and Damon Locks. The work was performed with video by Nicole Mitchell. Commissioned by Anthony Braxton’s Tri-Centric Orchestra, Brooklyn
2012
Doris Duke Artist Award
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalist Association
Nominated for Rome Prize
Harambee: Road to Victory for Flute, Choir and Orchestra. Commissioned by Chicago Sinfonietta.
Cave of Self-Induction, two flutes and percussion. Commissioned by International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE).
Mother Earth: Alpine Forest. A concert-length suite of compositions written for Black Earth Ensemble and featuring Malian kora player Ballake Sissoko. Commissioned by the Manzoni Theater, Milan, Italy,
2011
Herb Alpert Artist Award
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Flight for Freedom for Creative Flute and Orchestra. Commissioned by Chicago Sinfonietta.
Stray Light, sound installation. Commissioned by media artist David Hartt.
2010
Artist in Residence, Chicago Jazz Festival
Flutist of the Year, JazzIt Magazine (Italy)
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Top Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Top Rising Star Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
External Award, University of Illinois, Chicago
Intergalactic Beings: Xenogenesis II. Commissioned by Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art.
Arc of O. Commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival. A full length work for chamber orchestra and improvisers.
Mother Nature Suite. Commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival.
2009
Top Rising Star Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Honoring Grace: Michelle Obama. Commissioned by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Full-length multi-movement suite for septet.
2008
Flutist of the Year, Jazz Journalists Association
Top Rising Star Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Top Ten, Rising Star Composer, Downbeat Magazine
South Side World, Cubical 4. Commissioned by Now Orchestra (Canada).
2007
Top Rising Star Flutist, Downbeat Magazine
Many Paths Meet the Sea: A Tribute to Alice Coltrane. Commissioned by Jazz Institute and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
Qualities of My Father: A Tribute to Michael E. Mitchell. Commissioned by the Umbrella Organization (Chicago). An evening-length, multi-movement work for eleven piece chamber ensemble.
Xenogenesis Suite: A Tribute to Octavia Butler. Commissioned by Chamber Music America’s New Works: Creation and Presentation Program.
