Melissa Aldana, born 3 December 1988 in Santiago, Chile, is a tenor saxophonist and composer who began playing the saxophone at six under her father Marcos Aldana’s guidance. After studying at Berklee College of Music, she released her debut album Free Fall in 2010, followed by Second Cycle in 2012. In 2013 she won the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, securing a Concord Jazz recording contract. Her subsequent releases include Back Home (2016), and Visions for Motéma Music (2019). After signing with Blue Note Records, she released Echoes of the Inner Prophet (2024) and 12 Stars (2022), the latter featuring the single "Falling". Melissa Aldana received a 2020 Grammy nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo and was ranked sixth tenor saxophonist by DownBeat in December 2022. In 2026, she released the album Filin, produced by Don Was and featuring vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kush Abadey.
