Guitarist Donovan Mixon is a self-described citizen of the world. In 1988, then a Berklee College of Music professor, he was awarded an NEA grant for jazz composition. His artistic journey led to an 18-year residency in Europe, primarily in Italy and Turkey, where he performed at music festivals such as the Umbria and Istanbul jazz festivals and taught concepts from his unique method 'Performance Ear Training' at music schools and universities such as DAMS in Bologna Italia and Istanbul Bilgi University. Since 2010, Chicago has been his creative hub where he performs in clubs, concert halls and festivals with his World Jazz Quintet as well as with the GBME--Great Black Music Ensemble—of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) of which he is a recent inductee. Mixon curates monthly jazz performances with a series called "Donovan’s Garage" a unique performance laboratory located in N. Evanston. His latest recording, 'Finding Center' is set for prerelease in May 2025. It features all original compositions, fellow AACM members Fred Jackson Jr, Leon Q Allen and other instrumentalists such as Robert Irving III, Charles Heath, Emmanuel Ngolle, Cory Biggerstaff and the splendid voice of Sarah Marie Young.
Donovan Mixon photo by Joerg Metzger. URL:https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/event/donovans-garage-evanstons-free-monthly-jazz-performance-laboratory/ LOCATION:Evanston History Center\, 225 Greenwood Street\, Evanston\, IL\, 60201\, United States CATEGORIES:Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/DonovanSimple.png ORGANIZER;CN="Evanston History Center":MAILTO:kfabian@evanstonhistorycenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261209T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261209T130000 DTSTAMP:20260730T173255Z CREATED:20260724T220527Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260730T173255Z UID:10015946-1796817600-1796821200@evanstonhistorycenter.org SUMMARY:Curiosity Cafe: Invented in Evanston: Fun and Games DESCRIPTION:Lunchtime Curiosity Cafe Second Wednesday of the month from 12-1pm at the Evanston History Center, 225 Greenwood St. FREE, no RSVP needed. Come to the Dawes House for coffee, lunch, and informal conversation around a variety of unique Evanston History topics. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch; coffee and tea will be provided. December's topic is Fun and Games invented in Evanston. Based on our recent holiday exhibits, “It’s All Fun and Games,” and in time to compliment the Evanston Children’s Games mural on Sherman Ave and Greenwood St., Evanston History Center curator/historian Kris Hartzell will share the backstories of Tinkertoys, Operation, Lite Brite, and more fun that has come out of Evanston. URL:https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/event/curiosity-cafe-invented-in-evanston-fun-and-games/ LOCATION:Evanston History Center\, 225 Greenwood Street\, Evanston\, IL\, 60201\, United States CATEGORIES:Upcoming Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/DecCafe.png ORGANIZER;CN="Evanston History Center":MAILTO:kfabian@evanstonhistorycenter.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20270213T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20270213T203000 DTSTAMP:20260826T210701Z CREATED:20260826T210701Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260826T210701Z UID:10015955-1802545200-1802550600@evanstonhistorycenter.org SUMMARY:Modern Love\, a concert with La Caccina DESCRIPTION:Modern Love A concert with vocal ensemble La Caccina Saturday, February 13, 7pm In-person event At the Evanston History Center 225 Greenwood St, Evanston, IL This Valentine’s Day, join Evanston History Center artist-in-residence La Caccina for Modern Love, a celebration of love in all its forms. From romantic love to familial love to friendship to self-love – or even if your attitude is “down with love!” – La Caccina has you covered. Featuring Matthew Harris’s hilarious and poignant Women in Love, Megan Fletcher’s sassy arrangement of Chappell Roan’s “My Kink is Karma”, and a world premiere about the power of friendship from Venezuelan composer Mariana Romero Serra, this light-hearted program will have audiences feeling butterflies. Modern Love will also include a world premiere from our Hearing in Color Young Composer-in-Residence, Jaden Hart. Before the concert join us for an exclusive pre-show talkback with Jaden and LaRob K. Rafael, Artistic Director of Hearing in Color. Concert ticket includes admission to the Dawes House Museum and exhibitions. About the artist La Caccina champions and performs diverse, innovative repertoire for women’s voices to engage audiences and inspire the next generation of collaborative musicians. The ensemble finds its namesake in Francesca Caccini, a prolific Baroque composer known for her virtuosic musicality and beautiful singing voice. Following in Caccini’s footsteps, the singers of La Caccina bring a wide range of expertise to the ensemble, enabling them to adapt to a variety of musical styles—from Renaissance madrigals to South African folk songs, and from contemporary pop songs to classical masterworks such as Vivaldi’s Gloria in D and Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. Since their founding, La Caccina has collaborated with ensembles including the Pavo String Quartet, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, and bluegrass trio Glass Mountain, and has commissioned and premiered works by Marie-Claire Saindon, Timothy C. Takach, Augusta Read Thomas, Matthew Harris, and Melissa Dunphy, among others. No matter the music, La Caccina’s expressive, emotional singing highlights the versatility of the treble voice and brings musical excellence, integrity, and honesty to every performance. Learn more about La Caccina.
Ticket price includes refreshments.
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URL:https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/event/modern-love-a-concert-with-la-caccina/
LOCATION:Evanston History Center\, 225 Greenwood Street\, Evanston\, IL\, 60201\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concerts,Upcoming Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://evanstonhistorycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ModernLoveSImple.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Evanston History Center":MAILTO:kfabian@evanstonhistorycenter.org
END:VEVENT
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