Roscoe Mitchell at Hamilton Park & Cultural Center

The 26th Annual Englewood Jazz Festival, presented by Live the Spirit Residency, returns to Chicago’s historic Hamilton Park, expanding to five nights this year on September 16–20, 2025, marking a powerful milestone in American music: the 60th Anniversary of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). All events are FREE. 

Roscoe Mitchell is an internationally acclaimed composer, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Renowned for his boundary-pushing solo performances and innovative use of woodwinds, Mitchell has helped define a hybrid compositional-improvisational language in contemporary music. He also founded the Creative Arts Collective, the Note Factory, and several other influential ensembles. Mitchell taught at Mills College from 2007 to 2018 as the Darius Milhaud Distinguished Chair of Composition. His numerous honors include the NEA Jazz Master Fellowship (2020), ASCAP Founders Award (2018), United States Artist Award (2019), and the inaugural Vanguard Award from Chamber Music America (2025). He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2024. Mitchell’s prolific output spans hundreds of recordings, including landmark albums like Sound (1966), Nonaah (1977), and Bells for the South Side (2017). Recent commissions include orchestral works and song cycles, with premieres by major ensembles worldwide. Also a visual artist since the 1960s, Mitchell’s paintings have been exhibited in solo shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, and upcoming in Marfa, Texas in 2025. His work across disciplines reflects a lifelong commitment to innovation and creative expression.