Cynthia Mullis is a versatile, accomplished saxophonist and jazz artist. Since moving to Seattle in 2000, she has become an active member of the Pacific Northwest music scene after many years in New York and San Francisco. Cynthia leads her own group and is a valued side-person in numerous ensembles. She is also a graphic artist who enjoys discovering the parallels between visual art and music.
Cynthia leads the jazz group New York Confidential which combines top-notch jazz musicians from the Pacific Northwest with musical style inspired by the Big Apple. She produced her OA2 Records release Inside Job with this group using a 2001 Artist Support Grant from Jack Straw Productions. The chemistry of the band results in organic, creative and exciting performances of classic jazz and original jazz compositions. This group also provides professional musical services for various events in the Seattle area, including concert, club and festival settings.
In addition to performing with other notable Northwest ensembles, Cynthia is a regular member of the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra. She is featured on tenor and alto saxophone on their OA2 Records release Meeting of the Waters. Cynthia performed with SWOJO at the Lima, Peru Jazz Festival in 2007. From 2002-2008 Cynthia was a valued instructor and clinician at Music Works Northwest and continues to be involved in music education.
Cynthia lived and worked in New York City from 1993 through 2000. She moved to the Big Apple at the encouragement of Jimmy Heath, and studied saxophone, composition and jazz improvisation with the legendary saxophonist at Queens College. While completing her studies with Mr. Heath, she immersed herself in the jazz scene of New York City, hitting late night jam sessions, practicing hours a day, and meeting and performing with world-class musicians.
From 1994 to 2000 she was a member of the all-women big band Diva, based in New York City. With Diva, she performed extensively across the United States, backing such artists as Diane Schuur, Joe Williams and Dave Brubeck. While with Diva, Cynthia performed at numerous prestigious venues, including the Blue Note, Birdland, and Tavern on the Green in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the SS Norway and QE2 Floating Jazz Festivals, and jazz festivals in Berlin, Montreal, Austria and Switzerland. Cynthia can be heard on two of Diva’s CDs, Leave It to Diva and I Believe in You.
Cynthia Mullis earned a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College in NYC. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition she has an AAAS Degree in Graphic Design from Shoreline Community College and a Certificate in Arts Management from the UW. Cynthia is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico.