AJ Nguyen is a passionate music educator and saxophonist based in Tallahassee, Florida, originally from McKinney, Texas. As both a performer and teacher, he is dedicated to creating meaningful musical experiences through collaboration, creativity, and community. He serves as Adjunct Instructor of Saxophone at Bethune-Cookman University, where he teaches undergraduate lessons and coaches a chamber ensemble.

In addition to his collegiate teaching, Nguyen maintains an active private studio, working with middle and high school students in Oklahoma and Florida. His teaching emphasizes goal setting, musical independence, and long-term artistic development, resulting in consistent superior (I) ratings at regional and state Solo and Ensemble festivals and selection to honor ensembles such as the Central Oklahoma Directors Association Honor Band and the Big Bend All-District Band. Among these achievements, one student placed first in the 2026 Florida Music Education Association All-State Symphonic Band.

An active performer, Nguyen has received recognition from the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA), the New Orleans Chamber Fest, and the Coltman Chamber Music Competition. Most recently, his quartet, Close Quarters, was awarded second prize in the 2025 MTNA Chamber Winds Competition held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has also performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and the Panama City Symphony. He has presented recitals at conferences including NASA, the College Music Society, the International Saxophone Symposium, the Florida Flute Association, and the World Saxophone Congress, as well as guest recitals at the University of Oklahoma and Brookhaven College.

A strong advocate for new music, Nguyen is a member of the professional saxophone duo Akō2. The duo has commissioned and premiered new works at the 2023 Great Plains Saxophone Workshop and is currently producing its debut album, Even Now, featuring seven previously unrecorded works by living composers, scheduled for release in Summer 2026.

Nguyen holds a Doctor of Music in Saxophone Performance from Florida State University, with cognates in Music Theory Pedagogy and College Teaching, a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Oklahoma, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Music and Mathematics from Oklahoma State University. His primary teachers include Geoffrey Deibel, Jonathan Nichol, Johnny Salinas, Jeffrey Loeffert, and Buddy Mattei.