Marc van Roon

Marc van Roon (born 1967 in The Hague, The Netherlands) is a Dutch jazz pianist. He combines music performance with his work as a creative facilitator for groups and organizations in change and learning processes. He has composed songs and orchestra pieces for dance companies and various music ensembles and produced several CDs for other artists.

Van Roon has collaborated with Dave Liebman, Clark Terry, Art Farmer, Charlie Mariano, Billy Hart, Santi Di Briano, Tony Lakatos, Michael Moore, The Netherlands Dans Theatre and Dutch jazz artists Ernst Reijseger, Tony Overwater, Wim Kegel, Jesse van Ruller, Susanne Abbuehl, Fay Claassen, Eric Vloeimans and Tineke Postma.

Van Roon began classical piano lessons at the age of ten. His interest in jazz and improvisation was sparked at a young age by his father Wouter van Roon, a professional jazz pianist. He studied music privately until the age of sixteen when he enrolled in the music program at the Royal Music Conservatory in The Hague. He studied with pianists Frans Elsen, Rob van Kreeveld, Geoffrey Douglas Madge and Lanny Kho. He graduated in 1991 and left for a post conservatorial study to New York City. There he studied with jazz pianists Barry Harris and Richie Beirach. He returned to The Netherlands in 1993 started his own trio and continued to collaborate with other musicians. At the same time he co-founded the creative artistic consultancy group Art in Rhythm with drummer/percussionist Joshua Samson. Thereafter he started to give lecture based learning experiences for audiences around the world.

European Jazz Trio
Van Roon is a member of the European Jazz Trio. The two other founding members are bass player Frans van der Hoeven and drummer Roy Dackus. The European Jazz Trio crosses the boundaries between jazz, classical and pop music with surprising results. Three CDs have been awarded with the Swing Journal Gold Disc award in Japan. The EJT have recorded several albums and perform regularly in Japan and around the globe. Their collaboration with the Japanese label M&I dates from the beginning of 2000 and they have since toured Japan annually. Their tours have brought them to various famous concert halls including the Sapporo Concert Hall, Suntory Hall and Bunkyo Civic Concert Hall in Tokyo, The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea.

Other Ensembles and Orchestras
Van Roon has recorded many CDs as a leader for the record label Apple on the Moon. His work includes solo albums, collaborative work with other musicians and work with orchestras such as Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra's offshoot 'Ebony Band'. As a composer, Van Roon has written original material for choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa ballets 'Before After' and 'Symbiosis'. Since 2007 Van Roon is a member of the Tineke Postma Quartet and the Michael Moore Quintet.



Van Roon has presented at various conferences including ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) Washington '97 & Dallas 2000, IAL (International Accelerated Learning Conferences) 2000, DGSL (Deutsche Gesellshaft for Superlearning) 2002 & 2004, International Cybernetics Conference, Vienna 2003, Art in Business conferences, Slovenia 2002 & 2003, European Music Council conference, The Hague, 2004 and the ISCT Conference, Vienna, 2005, the International Consortium for Experiential learning conference (ICEL) in 2006 at the Brathay Academy in Lancaster, the International Conference of Quality Managers (7th ICQM) in Tehran, Iran, the 5th IFTDO World Conference & Exhibition 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Conference "passion and compassion at work" organized by the Zin in Werk organization in 2008.

Van Roon has taught at the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and has been a guest teacher at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. Since 2001, Van Roon has been teaching jazz piano at the Hanzehogeschool Groningen - Prins Claus Conservatorium in Groningen, the Netherlands. Since 2008, Van Roon is member of the LifeLong Learning Lectorate connected with the Music Conservatories in Groningen and The Hague.

Works: DVD/CD recordings
As a leader


 * Creatie in Actie: 10 piano solo improvisations: CD in the book "Het Mysterie van de Creativiteit" (Asoka: ISBN 978 90 5670 176 5)
 * en blanc et noir 10 label: Daybreak DBCHR75248 with: Eric Vloeimans, Tony Overwater, Wim Kegel


 * falling stones label: Apple on the Moon AotM 2004-07 with: David Liebman, Tony Overwater, Wim Kegel, Joshua Samson
 * centre of the song label: Apple on the Moon AotM 2000-01 with: duet with Joshua Samson
 * among birds and beasts label Apple on the Moon AotM 2000-02 with: duet with David Liebman
 * music for piano and string quartet label: Apple on the Moon AotM 2000-05 with: String Quartet
 * We Won't Forget Art in Jazz 1992

With European Jazz Trio


 * Afternoon in Amsterdam label: M&I MYBJ-10005 with: DVD European Jazz Trio
 * Saudade] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Bolero] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio and Thijs van Leer]


 * Symphony-Classics] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Tango Notturno] label: M&I MYwith: European Jazz Trio]
 * Angie] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio with Jesse van Ruller]
 * Memories of Liverpool] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Immortal Beloved] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Adagio] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Europe] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Mona Lisa] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio with strings]
 * Fantasista] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * Jewels of the Madonna] label: M&I with: European Jazz Trio]
 * The Windmills of Your Mind] label: Baybridge Records TECW-25629 with: Art Farmer and EJT


 * The Ballad of the Sad Young Man] label: Pony Canyon with: Art Farmer and EJT
 * Libertango] label: M&I with: Charlie Mariano and EJT

With/for other musicians and ensembles


 * A Journey that Matters] as guest with Tineke Postma. Foreign Media 2007
 * Lieb plays Wilder] as guest with Dave Liebman trio. Daybreak/Challenge 2005
 * With a Song in my Heart] label: JazzImpuls with: Fay Claassen
 * New York Straight Ahead] Dick de Graaf / Tony Lakatos Quintet. Challenge 2004


 * Growing Up Jess Abrams
 * Cuban Fishes Make Good Dishes] Mark Lotz & Shango's Dance. Random Chance 2004
 * Pum'kin Diaries Lotz of Music. Loplop Records 2002
 * Kikker Swingt] (frog swings) as guest with Tony Overwater Kwintet & Max Velthuijs. label: Jazz in Motion JIM 75144
 * Kikker heeft de Blues (frog got the blues) as guest with Tony Overwater Kwintet. label: Jazz in Motion JIM 75366
 * Osiris sideman with Michael Moore Quintet label: Ramboy Recordings - Ramboy22 (2006)
 * Live At The Paradiso] Ebony Band Amsterdam performing the music of Robert F. Graettinger
 * Relaxin' as sideman for Bob and Chuck Findley recording 1989
 * I am Rose Susanne Abbuehl Group
 * Rhythms & Rhymes] Fay Claassen (creative post production)
 * Restless Skies Olaf Tarenskeen & Release 88 (1988)

Works: compositions

 * Before After - for dance choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa] for Dutch National Ballet, 2002
 * Symbiosis - for dance choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa]
 * Melantid - for ballet performance Melantid by choreographer Johan Inger for Netherlands Dance Theatre, 1995
 * Ichnaton's daughters - I Am Rose (CD), Susanne Abbuehl Group, 1997
 * December - New York Straight Ahead (CD), Dick de Graaf / Tony Lakatos Quintet, 1996
 * In the Air - New York Straight Ahead (CD), Dick de Graaf / Tony Lakatos Quintet, 1996
 * In the Air - Pum'kin Diaries (CD), Lotz of Music, 2003
 * Blan Lives - En Blanc Et Noir 10 (CD), Marc van Roon Trio with Eric Vloeimans, 2007
 * Radio-A-Haman - En Blanc Et Noir 10 (CD), Marc van Roon Trio with Eric Vloeimans, 2007
 * Meeting Sylvia At Gate D7 - En Blanc Et Noir 10 (CD), Marc van Roon Trio with Eric Vloeimans, 2007
 * Red Larks - Saudade (CD), European Jazz Trio, 2007
 * a.h. radioman - Tango Notturno (CD), European Jazz Trio, 2006
 * Dream People - An Afternoon in Amsterdam (DVD), Mona Lisa (CD) European Jazz Trio, 2004, 2005
 * Fantasista - Fantasista (CD), European Jazz Trio, 2003
 * Sho-Time - Angie (CD), European Jazz Trio, 2001
 * Simple Song - Libertango (CD), European Jazz Trio, 1999
 * Sweet Sweep - Ballad of the Sad Young Man (CD), European Jazz Trio, 1998
 * ''Snow Angels" - The Windmills of your Mind (CD), European Jazz Trio, 1997
 * A Long Distance - Immortal Beloved (CD), European Jazz Trio, 1996
 * Mangalacharan - Falling Stones (CD), Marc van Roon Trio with David Liebman. [Apple on the Moon Records], 2004
 * Newland - Falling Stones (CD), Marc van Roon Trio with David Liebman. Apple on the Moon Records], 2004
 * passionara - Centre of the Song (CD), Marc van Roon / Joshua Samson Duo. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * first push, then turn (clockwise) - Centre of the Song (CD), Marc van Roon / Joshua Samson Duo. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * bailadas - Centre of the Song (CD), Marc van Roon / Joshua Samson Duo. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * meeting sylvia at gate D7 - Centre of the Song (CD), Marc van Roon / Joshua Samson Duo. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * simbelmynë  - Centre of the Song (CD), Marc van Roon / Joshua Samson Duo. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * khazad-dûm - Centre of the Song (CD), Marc van Roon / Joshua Samson Duo. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * Waltz - Music for piano and String Quartet (CD), Marc van Roon. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * # jazz - Music for piano and String Quartet (CD), Marc van Roon. Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * Opening - Music for piano and String Quartet (CD), Marc van Roon. [Apple on the Moon Records], 2000
 * African Queen - Restless Skies (CD), Olaf Tarenskeen & Release 88, 1988