Zahili Gonzalez Zamora is a pianist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and educator. Born in Manzanillo, Cuba, she started playing piano at the age of 6 and graduated from the National School of Music with a performance degree. Her passion for music has taken her to Canada, South East Asia and the United States. Her Afro-Cuban jazz trio, MIXCLA, has headlined at the landmark Scullers Jazz Club in Boston since 2018. MIXCLA has also performed at the 59th Monterey Jazz Festival, the 2016 Stave Sessions as part of the Celebrity Series of Boston, the 2015 Montreal International Jazz Festival and other highly respected venues and festivals. Zamora is always moving forward, guided and driven by her music and the need to grow as an artist and a person, and to share her music and love of life with others. She aspires to inspire and be a messenger for a journey that is not only her own, but also one that resonates with others. As a person out of her comfort zone for the sake of her work, she feels most defined by her Cuban heritage and her status as an immigrant. Her rich musical background, career experience, and extraordinary improvisation skills render her a leader in the modern Latin jazz idiom and an influential, emulated musician.