About Miguel Zenón
“This young musician and composer is at once reestablishing the artistic, cultural, and social tradition of jazz while creating an entirely new jazz language for the 21st century.”
— MacArthur Foundation, 2008.
Grammy Winner, Doris Duke Artist and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences.
Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released seventeen recordings as a leader, including his latest Golden City (2024), the Grammy-winning album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023) and the Grammy-nominated Música De Las Américas (2022), Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (2019) and Yo Soy La Tradición (2018). He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band and Bobby Hutcherson.
In April 2008 he received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2011 he founded Caravana Cultural, a program which presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022 he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution. In 2024 he received a Doris Duke Artist Award from the Doris Duke Foundation.
Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and The Chicago Tribune. In addition, he topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023 he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year.
As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is a faculty member in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT, as well as the current Visiting Scholar for the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department at Berklee College of Music.
Zenón lives in New York City with his wife Elga and their daughter.
AS LEADER:
Golden City – Miel Music (2024)
El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (with Luis Perdomo) – Miel Music (2023)
Música De Las Américas – Miel Music (2022)
Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman – Miel Music (2021)
El Arte Del Bolero (with Luis Perdomo) – Miel Music (2021)
Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera – Miel Music (2019)
Yo Soy La Tradición (Feat. Spektral Quartet) – Miel Music (2018)
Típico – Miel Music (2017)
Identities are Changeable – Miel Music (2014)
Oye!!! Live in Puerto Rico – Miel Music (2013)
Sunnyside Records (2012)
Marsalis Music (2011)
AS SIDEMAN:
Misha Tsiganov, Painter of Dreams (2024)/ Criss Cross
PRISM Quartet, Heritage/Evolution Vol.3 (2024)/XAS Records
Dan Weiss, Even Odds (2024)/ Cygnus Recordings
Raphael Pannier, Letter To A Friend (2023)/ French Paradox
Dan Tepfer & Miguel Zenón, Internal Melodies (2023)/ Main Door Music
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol, Turkish Hipster (2023)/ Dünya
Sammy Figueroa, Searching for a Memory (2023)/ Ashé Records
Jose Zayas Cabán, Ryan Smith, Casey Rafn, Miguel Zenón, Romance al Campesino Porteño (2023)/ Navona Records
Jason Yeager, Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite (2022)/ Sunnyside Records
Dave Meder, Unamuno Songs and Stories (2021)
SWR Big Band, Bird Lives (November 2021)/ Act Music
Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and The Global Big Band, Open World (October 2021)
Nando Michelin, Letters From The Quarantine (September 2021)
Ches Smith & We All Break, Path Of Seven Colors (June 2021)/ Pyroclastic Records
Pedrito Martinez, Acertijos (March 2021)/ Immediate Family Records
Raphael Pannier, Faune (September 2020)/ French Paradox
Seth Tracy, Zygmon (June 2020)/ Ropeadope Records
Spanish Harlem Orchestra, The Latin Jazz Project (May 2020)
Kurt Elling, Secrets Are The Best Stories (April 2020)/ Edition Records
Cesar Cardoso, Dice of Tenors (April 2020)
Luca Alemanno, I Can See Your House From Here (September 2019)/ Workin’ Label
SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2018 (March 2019)/ SFJAZZ Records
Dave Meder, Passage (February 2019)/ Outside in Music
Stu Mindeman, Woven Threads (September 2018)/Sunnyside Records
Paoli Mejias, Abriendo Camino (July 2018)
Cesar Cardoso, Interchange (May 2018)
SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2017 (April 2018)/ SFJAZZ Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2016 (March 2017)/ SFJAZZ Records
Guillermo Klein, Los Guachos V (March 2016)/Sunnyside Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2015 (March 2016)/ SFJAZZ Records
Dan Weiss, Sixteen: Drummers Suite (February 2016)/ Pi Recordings
SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2014 (March 2015)/ SFJAZZ Records
PRISM Quartet, Heritage/Evolution Vol.1 (January 2015)/Innova
SFJAZZ Collective, 10th Anniversary (October 2014)/ SFJAZZ Records
Kenny Werner, Coalition (September 2014)/Half Note Records
Julien Labro, From This Point Forward (May 2014)/Azica Records
Bobby Avey, Authority Melts For Me (May 2014)/Whirlwind Recordings
Jeff Ballard Trio, Time’s Tales (February 2014)/Okeh Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live at The SFJAZZ Center 2013 ( 2013)/ SFJAZZ Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Wonder – The Songs of Stevie Wonder (2013)/SFJAZZ Records
Alexis Cuadrado, A Lorca Landscape (September 2013)/ Sunnyside Records
Luis Perdomo, Links (May 2013)/ Criss Cross Jazz
Andy Montañez, Sueño (November 2012)
David Gilmore, Numerology – Live at The Jazz Standard (September 2012)
Guillermo Klein, Carrera (May 2012)/Sunnyside Records)
Miles Okazaki,Figurations (May 2012)/ Sunnyside Record)
Edmar Castaneda, Double Portion (2012)
Henry Cole & The Afrobeat Collective, Roots Before Branches (March 2012)
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2011 8th Annual Concert Tour (September 2011) SFJAZZ Records
Aaron Goldberg & Guillermo Klein, Bienestan (June 2011)/ Sunnyside Records
Adam Cruz, Milestone (April 2011)/ Sunnyside Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2010 7th Annual Concert Tour (October 2010) SFJAZZ Records
Antonio Sanchez, Live In New York At The Jazz Standard (August 2010) CAM Jazz
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2009 6th Annual Concert Tour (October 2009) SFJAZZ Records
Miles Okazaki, Generations (2009)/ Sunnyside Records
Paoli Mejías, Jazzambia (2008)
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2008 5th Annual Concert Tour (October 2008) SFJAZZ Records
Guillermo Klein, Filtros (2008)/Sunnyside Records
Hans Glawischnig, Panorama (January 2008) Sunnyside Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2007 4th Annual Concert Tour (July 2007) SFJAZZ Records
The Jason Lindner Big Band,Live at The Jazz Gallery (May 2007) Ansic Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2006 3rd Annual Concert Tour (January 2007) SFJAZZ Records
Brian Lynch, Spheres of Influence Suite (2006) Ewe Records
Miles Okazaki, Mirror (2006)
Paoli Mejías, Transcend (2006)
SFJAZZ Collective,SFJAZZ Collective 2, (March 2006) Nonesuch Records
SFJAZZ Collective, Live 2005 2nd Annual Concert Tour (January 2006) SFJAZZ Records
Edsel Gomez, Cubist Music (January 2006) Zoho Music
Charlie Haden & The Liberation Music Orchestra, Not In Our Name (September 2005) Verve
Mingus Big Band, I Am Three (June 2005)
SFJAZZ Collective, SFJAZZ Collective (May 2005) Nonesuch Records
Brian Lynch, 24/7 (April 2005) Nagel Heyer
Gilson Schachnik, Lampiao (2004) Candid
The Sound of New York Jazz Underground (December 2004) Fresh Sound New Talent
Chiara Civello,Last Quarter Moon (February 2005),Verve
SFJAZZ Collective,Inagural Season 2004(August 2004)
Charlie Haden,The Land of the Sun(August 2004), Verve
David Sanchez,Coral (August 2004)/Sony
Luis Perdomo, Focus Point(September 2004)/RKM
Paoli Mejías, Mi Tambor(2004)
Kendrick Oliver & The New Life Jazz Orchestra,Welcome to New Life(2003)/Sphere
Hans Glawischnig,Common Ground(2003)/Fresh Sound New Talent
The Jinga Quintet, A Day Gone By (2003)/Fresh Sound World Jazz
Ray Barretto, Hommage to Art Blakey (2003)/Sunnyside
Quite Sane, The Child of Trouble Times (2002)/Rykodisc
Guillermo Klein, Los Guachos 3 (2002)/Sunnyside
Sebastian Weiss, Momentum (2001)/Fresh Sound New Talent
David Sanchez, Travesia (2001)/Columbia
Greg Tardy, Abundance (2001)/Palmetto Jazz
Stephan Crump, Tuckahoe (2001)/Accurate
David Sanchez, Melaza (2000)/Columbia
Either/Orchestra,More Beautiful Than Death (2000)/Accurate
Gilson Schachnik, Raw (2000)/Brownstone
Gabriel Rodriguez, Beginning (1999)