Note series of items includes nothing for performer (7)
I believe the answer is:
soloist
'for performer' is the definition.
(soloist is a kind of performer)
'note series of items includes nothing' is the wordplay.
'note' becomes 'so' (musical note).
'series of items' becomes 'list' (I've seen this in another clue).
'includes' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'nothing' becomes 'O' (looks like zero - 0).
'list' enclosing 'o' is 'loist'.
'so'+'loist'='SOLOIST'
(Other definitions for soloist that I've seen before include "Individual performer" , "maybe a vocal type" , "Only one playing" , "musician at front of stage?" , "Virtuoso player" .)