David Mitchell is an active percussion educator, performer, and adjudicator. Currently, he is Interim Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Polk State College. Previously, he was the assistant director of the Southeastern University drumline where he worked closely with Brian Blume in the percussion department. Recently, he was featured as the vibraphone soloist with the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra in Williams’ Escapades. Mitchell was also a previous instructor at East Tennessee State University. He was honored as a featured soloist for Science Hill High School’s 2016 PASIC Showcase Concert. Mitchell is a current member of PAS and past member of the Percussion Ensemble Committee. He often presents clinics at other schools in the region, and is an adjudicator for marching band competitions. Mitchell is the principal percussionist for the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, reserve percussionist for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and he regularly performs with the Orlando-based contemporary chamber ensemble, Alterity Orchestra. He was formerly a percussionist with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra and the principal percussionist for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra.

Contributing to the art of percussion through the commission of new compositions is one of Mitchell’s passions. Examples of these contributions include I Leave You the Real World by David Skidmore, Spur by Ivan Trevino, and Distances by Baljinder Sekhon. He led a consortium to commission a new solo work by Dave Maric written for marimba, vibraphone, unpitched percussion, and audio track, which was premiered in March 2017.

Mitchell completed his DMA under Dr. Eric Willie at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He received a BM at East Tennessee State University where he studied with Dr. Rande Sanderbeck, and a MM in music theory at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he also studied percussion with Dr. Kristopher Keeton.

David Mitchell currently resides in Central Florida with his wife and daughter. He is proud to endorse Black Swamp Percussion, Innovative Percussion, Majestic, Mapex, and SABIAN. For more information about David Mitchell, visit www.davidmitchellpercussion.com.