Howard Mitchell

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Howard Mitchell (born 1910 or 1911, died 22 June 1988 in Palm Coast, Florida) was an American cellist and conductor. He conducted the National Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1969.

According to music critic Ted Libbey, Mitchell "personified the optimism that permeated Washington and America after World War II; he socialized, schmoozed and charmed the ladies of high Washington society, fitting right in, playing the role of music director as he played the cello. He saw the symphony as a necessary component of the city's social and cultural life, an institution to be supported by the enlightened few and used to educate and enrich the many." Nonetheless Mitchell's tenure was "the artistic nadir of the National Symphony". [1]