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Penn State College of Arts and Architecture
Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State

Event Slides Per Node 1415

Miguel Zenón Quartet
Música de las Américas

7:30 pm Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Recital Hall

Miguel Zenón is a master at balancing and blending innovation and tradition. One of the most trailblazing and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he focuses his attention at the crossroads of jazz and his many musical influences. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and is the recipient of Guggenheim and MacArthur fellowships.

The alto saxophonist, who will front his quartet at Penn State, has released fourteen albums as a leader, including Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman (2021), El Arte Del Bolero (2021), and Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera (2019). As a composer, he has received commissions from SFJAZZ, Chamber Music America, New York State Council for the Arts, and numerous others. He has lectured and taught master classes across the planet. Since 2011, his Caravana Cultural has presented free-of-charge jazz concerts every four to six months in rural areas of Puerto Rico.

Zenón’s band will feature drummer Henry Cole, pianist Luis Perdomo, and bassist Chris Tordini.  

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Buy Tickets
Adult $25
University Park Student $5
18 and Younger $15

sponsors
Patricia Best and Thomas Ray
Charlotte Zmyslo

Presented in collaboration with the Penn State Hispanic Heritage Month Committee.

A grant from the University Park Student Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.

Thank you to Penn State School of Music for hosting this presentation.

Artist Websites: 

Miguel Zenón

Secondary Events on Each Event

Miguel Zenón
Identities are Changeable

5:30 pm Tuesday, October 11, 2022

128 Music Building II

FREE but requires registration

This event is FREE, but you must register in advance to attend.
Complete the registration form.

Presented by the Center for the Performing Arts in collaboration with the Penn State Hispanic Heritage Month Committee

Miguel Zenón will discuss his recent project, Identities are Changeable, which was inspired by the idea of national identity, specifically as manifested in Puerto Rican communities in the New York City area. Zenón conducted a series of interviews with various individuals, all of Puerto Rican descent but born and raised in or around New York City. Then he wrote music based on some of the themes that developed during the conversations — themes such as home, language, tradition, and lineage. He then interlaced video and audio from the interviews within the music. During the one-hour event, Zenón will play video and audio from the project, breaking them down both musically and conceptually. 

A moderated question-and-answer session with Zenón will follow the presentation.