The Barcelona Art Orchestra joins forces with acclaimed alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón for Expressions – Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, an ambitious large-scale work that explores the many facets of human expression through the dynamic relationship between soloist and ensemble. The album arrives June 26, 2026 via Miel Music, Zenón’s label.
Structured as a four-movement concerto, Expressions examines contrasting emotional states and modes of communication, moving between silence and outcry, song and speech, intimacy and tension. The work is the result of a unique collaborative process, with each movement composed by one of the orchestra’s artistic directors: Néstor Giménez (Silenci / Xiscle), Lluc Casares (Canta / Parla), Joan Vidal (Xiuxiueig / Esglai), and Lluís Vidal (Lament / Crit). Together, the four composers create a unified musical statement that reflects the ensemble’s collective identity.
Written specifically for Zenón’s distinctive alto saxophone voice, the concerto places the Grammy-winning musician in continuous dialogue with the orchestra. The music shifts fluidly between lyrical passages and moments of heightened intensity, blending contemporary jazz language, improvisation and chamber-like textures into a sound world that is both carefully structured and remarkably open.
At the heart of the project is the Barcelona Art Orchestra’s commitment to collective creation. Rather than centering a single composer or artistic voice, Expressions emerges from the convergence of multiple perspectives, highlighting the individuality of its contributors while reinforcing a shared artistic vision.
Founded by Lluís Vidal, Néstor Giménez, Lluc Casares and Joan Vidal, the Barcelona Art Orchestra was conceived as a collaborative platform for large ensemble creation within the Catalan jazz scene. Bringing together musicians from different generations and artistic backgrounds, the ensemble has steadily built a reputation for projects that blur the boundaries between composition, improvisation and interdisciplinary performance.
That spirit is evident throughout the orchestra’s growing catalog. Its debut album, Ragtime Stories (2022), reimagined early jazz traditions through a contemporary lens, while projects such as Les Filles de Lilit expanded into multidisciplinary territory. Other notable works include Serratologia, a large-scale reinterpretation of the music of Joan Manuel Serrat; Osmosi, a multimedia project combining live drawing, stop-motion animation and big band composition; and Música Laietana, which revisits the legacy of Barcelona’s influential 1970s jazz-rock movement while also reworking Nino Rota’s iconic score for The Godfather.
Across these diverse projects, the Barcelona Art Orchestra has established itself as a distinctive voice within Europe’s contemporary large ensemble landscape, embracing experimentation, collaboration and artistic cross-pollination as core principles.
The collaboration with Miguel Zenón adds another compelling chapter to that story. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential saxophonists of his generation, Zenón has built a career balancing tradition and forward-thinking creativity. A Grammy Award winner, Doris Duke Artist and MacArthur Fellow, he is known for combining extraordinary technical command with a deeply conceptual approach to composition, often drawing connections between jazz and a wide range of cultural and musical influences.
With Expressions, the Barcelona Art Orchestra and Zenón present a work that celebrates communication in all its forms, revealing how individuality and collective expression can coexist within a shared creative framework.
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