MITCHELL JETT SPENCER, originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, is a pianist and composer residing in White Salmon, Washington. He has given multiple performances since moving to the Columbia Gorge, including his appearances as soloist for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in 2022 and Rhapsody in Blue in June 2024, both with the Gorge Sinfonietta. Mitchell composes for a variety of ensembles, including a recent work for piano trio commissioned by Utah State University (Fuga Impetuosa, premiered March 2024) and a new piece Folktales written for the Hood River String Quartet. A graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder, Mitchell honed his compositional abilities under private instruction from Dr. Carter Pann in addition to piano performance studies with Dr. Maria Kurchevskaya Currey.

Since moving to the Columbia Gorge in 2021, Mitchell has maintained an active role in the local music community as a performer, accompanist, teacher, and regular patron of the arts. In September 2023, Mitchell and the Hood River String Quartet raised over $1700 for local non-profits with their performance of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet No. 2. Future endeavors include ongoing commissions and an anticipated solo-piano project in late 2024.

When not behind a keyboard, Mitchell can regularly be found skiing, biking, or swimming around Mt. Hood.