Miguel Zenón

In this episode, I chat with Professor Miguel Zenón. Professor Zenón is a Grammy-winning alto saxophonist, composer, and Associate Professor in Music and Theater Arts at MIT, widely regarded as one of the most groundbreaking and influential musicians of his generation. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he has released eighteen recordings as a leader, including the Grammy-winning El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023) and the Grammy-nominated Golden City (2024), and his latest Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard (2025). A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, and Doris Duke Artist Award, Professor Zenón has been recognized as Alto Saxophonist of the Year multiple times by the Jazz Journalists Association and as Composer of the Year in 2023. His music, rooted in jazz and deeply informed by Puerto Rican musical traditions, has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, Chamber Music America, the MIT, and the Spektral Quartet, among many others.