Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) will host an Opening Nights performance by Grammy Award winning producer and guitar stylist Larry Mitchell in partnership with FSU Center for Autism & Related Disabilities and Arts4All Florida.
“Larry Mitchell and Friends” is led by Mitchell and blends the talents of five acclaimed Florida musicians – regional artists Matt Cravener, William (Yazid) Johnson, Trevor Williams (T-Rev) and Carly Fulcher. The performance will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, April 3, at the Museum of Fine Arts in the College of Fine Arts.
“We’re honored to host Larry Mitchell and Friends at MoFA, especially on the opening night of our exhibit ‘Conversaciones: Latin American Indigenous Art,’” said Kaylee Spencer, director of the FSU Museum of Fine Arts. “Mitchell’s work — both as a celebrated musician and as a producer of award-winning Indigenous music — resonates deeply with the themes of the exhibition. This evening brings together powerful expressions of cultural storytelling through both sound and image.”
Mitchell, recognized both in the U.S. and internationally, started playing guitar at age 9 and has maintained a musical career since then. He has collaborated with artists such as Miguel Bosé, Tracy Chapman, Ric Ocasek and Billy Squier; won 26 New Mexico music awards; and produced the Best Native American Music Album, Totemic Flute Chants by Robert Mirabal’s Johnny Whitehorse, for the 50th annual Grammys.
“We will weave a distinctive musical tapestry that welcomes listeners with unique rhythms and melodies,” Mitchell said. “The solo, ensemble and group works will showcase the strings and percussion of guitar, cello, piano and African drums.”
Mitchell is also a longstanding mentor for aspiring musicians. In 2020, he led a series of music workshops for FSU’s University of Choice student organization at the College of Music and Leon County schools that culminated in a concert for the FSU Opening Nights Arts Festival.
“Larry Mitchell’s commitment to mentoring young artists is as inspiring as his music. Through performances like this, we celebrate artistry and the power of education, collaboration and community.”
— Kevin Maynard, executive director for Opening Nights at FSU
Whether it is with his guidance at FSU, teaching for Arts4All Florida in K-12 classrooms, or artist residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, he is eager to nurture those who aspire to follow in his footsteps. His commitment to mentorship extends to the “Larry Mitchell Interchange: Music for All” program at FSU, where he helped guide young artists in their musical journeys.
“Larry Mitchell’s commitment to mentoring young artists is as inspiring as his music,” said Kevin Maynard, executive director for Opening Nights at FSU. “Through performances like this, we celebrate artistry and the power of education, collaboration and community.”
Percussionist, saxophonist, pianist and clarinetist Yazid has performed across the U.S. and internationally, working with Marvin Gaye and poet Gil Scott Heron. As a teaching artist for Arts4All Florida, he inspires students in Leon and surrounding counties to learn rhythms and patterns of various percussive instruments. Yazid has also led the FSU African Drumming Ensemble.
Fulcher is an FSU alumna and accomplished cellist who plays with the Gulf Coast Symphony and serves as Artis — Naples education coordinator. At FSU, she was part of the University Philharmonia and president of the University of Choice. In 2023, she was named “Florida Young Soloist” by Arts4All Florida.
Pianist and film composer Cravener, named Florida’s Young Soloist in 2020, has been playing since age 4. He has scored over 30 films and is working on the documentary “Repair the Breach,” which examines the theme of family dysfunction.
Singer-songwriter T-Rev placed second in the Songwriter Sensation contest behind America’s Got Talent finalist Chase Goehring and released the single “See Right Through Me.” He has appeared on “ABC 27 Sunrise Rocks” and was featured musician for Arts4All Florida and the Florida CARD Conference.
The event is free and open to the public, though tickets are required. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception. For tickets or more information, visit openingnights.fsu.edu/events/larry-mitchell-and-friends/.