Biography

SHORT BIOG

Elaine Mitchener is a British Afro-Caribbean vocalist, movement artist and composer working between contemporary/experimental new music, free improvisation and visual art.

She is currently a Wigmore Hall Associate Artist, also an Artist Associate with ENSEMBLE KLANG and a NEEDCompany Fellow. Elaine was a DAAD Artist-in-Berlin Fellow (2022), an exhibiting artist in the British Art Show 9 (2021-22) and in 2020 a selected artist for the Rauschenberg Residency.

In February 2022 Mitchener was awarded an MBE for Services to Music. Her debut album SOLO THROAT was released in May 2024 under Café Oto’s OTORUKO label.

As a guest curator Elaine developed and presented Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery’s Deep Time Festival (Basquiat&Cage 8424) and Politics of the Voice for Courtisane Festival (Ghent, Belgium).

Composers and artists she has worked and collaborated with include: George E Lewis, Jennifer Walshe, Tansy Davies, Rolf Hind, Laure M Hiendl, Matana Roberts; visual artists Sonia Boyce, Christian Marclay and The Otolith Group; chamber ensembles Apartment House, London Sinfonietta, Ensemble MAM, Ensemble Klang, Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble and Klangforum Wien; choreographer Dam Van Huynh and experimental musicians such as Moor Mother, Joelle Leandre, Saul Williams, Pat Thomas and David Toop. Elaine is founder of the collective electroacoustic unit The Rolling Calf.

Recent appearances include: BBCSSO Tectonics, MaerzMusik, Centre Pompidou, Radialsystem V, Cafe Oto, Sons d’Hiver, Barbican, ICA London, London Contemporary Music Festival, Darmstadt, Konzerthaus Wien, Muziekgebouw, Korzo Theater, Royal Opera House, November Music, Savvy Contemporary, Baremboim-Said Akademie, Donaueschinger Musiktage.