Born on December 30, 1976, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Miguel Zenón is a Grammy-nominated Latin jazz alto saxophonist, composer, producer, bandleader and educator. Initially studying for a career in engineering, he turned down a prestigious scholarship in order to pursue music as a career. After over a year of raising funds, he moved to Boston, Massachusetts in 1996 and enrolled at the Berklee College of Music. During his time at Berklee, he met pianist Danilo Pérez, who was to become a collaborator and mentor. He graduated from Berklee and enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music, where he received a master’s degree in Performance in 2001. He moved to New York City and began working as a sideman for Charlie Haden, Bobby Hutcherson, Steve Coleman, the SF Jazz Collective, Fred Hersch, and many others. In his spare time, he rehearsed with several friends and this group of musicians eventually became the Miguel Zenón Quartet. He released Looking Forward, his debut album, in 2002. He followed that with a series of well-received albums including Ceremonial (2004), Awake (2008), Esta Plena (2009), Oye!!! Live in Puerto Rico with The Rhythm Collective (2013), and El Arte Del Bolero (2021). During the course of his career, Miguel Zenón has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards and four Latin Grammy Awards. He is also an educator and the founder of Caravan Cultural, which organizes free jazz concerts in Puerto Rico’s most rural areas.
