Roland Moses

BIO

Dr Roland Moses is a senior lecturer specialising in Performance and Improvisation teaching at the Tshwane University of Technology. Roland Moses completed the Doctorate in Literature and Philosophy (DLitt et Phil) in Musicology and MMus (cum laude) in Jazz Performance, Composition and Arranging and the MBA in education management at Haaga Helia university in Finland. Roland also completed post-initial qualifications in the South African Academic Leadership (SAAL) programme hosted by Erasmus University (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Groningen University (Groningen, Netherlands), HELM (Higher education leadership management) and the LeADer programme (GIBS).
He currently serves as the artistic director for the YAMAHA young soloist competition 2024 and the vice-president for the South African Jazz Educators Association. In addition, he is an official accompanist for the UNISA national and international Jazz competitions.
He attended Goteborg University in Sweden as part of a student exchange program and was selected as the pianist/composer/arranger for the Standard Bank National Youth Band. Notable performance achievements include winning the National Jazz Group categories of the Old mutual Jazz encounters Competition and incentive prizes at the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Piano Competitions.
Roland has performed at numerous local and international Jazz festivals including the Joy of Jazz, Awesome Africa, North Sea Jazz Festival – Cape Town, Holland, KKNK, Macufe, UNISA Jazz Festival, Samui Jazz International (Thailand), Jazz on V (Bangkok), Amersfoort (Netherlands), Festival Kreol / Laserenade Enternasyonal de Victoria (Seychelles), Tjin Trommelan (Netherlands).
Roland has presented master classes, lectures and solo concerts at Berklee College of Music (Boston, USA), Stockton University (New Jersey, USA) and University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA).
Roland has recorded as sideman on numerous albums, most notably, Kevin Davidson’s – ‘Breathing Winston, Living John’, Peter Auret’s Trio Album, Mateo Mera (Uruguay), Ziza Muftic (Croatia). Roland has also performed with Venezuelan musicians Leonard Jacome (Harp), Eddy Marcano (Violin), Fabrizzio Savino (Italy), Emmanuel Cisi (Italy) and at the UNISA Saxophone Symposium.
Roland's debut album, 'Paths of Light,' was introduced to the world in May 2022 and has achieved interna.onal acclaim. It has been featured on numerous radio programs, including Jazz at the Lincoln and UJX. One of the album's tracks, 'African Sun,' secured the Best Jazz Song award at the 7th Mzantsi Jazz Awards and was also included on the Apple Music Mzansi Jazz playlist. The proceeds from the album support a music program initiated and overseen by Roland Moses at the Nokuphila school in Thembisa, with plans to extend this program to similar schools across the country and continent.
Roland has developed and facilitated several community music projects and conducts music literacy workshops in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng.
His doctoral research focused on a music literacy program for church musicians. He is currently a National Research Foundation post-doctoral scholar working on a project titled: Performance Practice traditions in Pentecostal Church Music.
Roland has also adjudicated numerous national and international music competitions and was a judge for the Jazz category at the 2015 SAMA awards. Roland is a YAMAHA artist.