My name is Gareth Ross, and I’m from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa. I started playing the piano at the age of 11, and it immediately took over my entire life. I went on to complete high school at The National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, specializing in music (piano and oboe). I studied for my BMus degree at the University of Pretoria under the tutelage of the highly distinguished Professor Joseph Stanford. During this time, I won numerous scholarships, bursaries, and competitions, including first prize at the 2006 Varna Symphonic Workshops International Piano Concerto Competition in Bulgaria. It was there that I had masterclasses with Joseph Banowetz, Tamasz Ungar, and Adam Wodnicki. In 2008 I won the UNISA DJ Roode overseas scholarship for the top newly-qualified music teacher in South Africa. In 2009 I received second place and a special prize at the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition, and in 2011, I performed in Italy at the European Academy of Performing Arts masterclasses with Professor Carmen Piazzini. In 2013 I joined Professor Piazzini at her summer academy in Radolfzell, Germany, and performed six times during the ten-day course. Out of 21 international participants, I received the top award for Outstanding Artistic Interpretation. I am proud to say that I achieved one of my life goals by performing JS Bach’s monumental 90-minute Goldberg Variations from memory for my Master’s degree in 2019 at the University of Pretoria. My dissertation was entitled ‘The reevaluation of ornamentation in JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations’ and was submitted along with my live performance of the work for critical analysis, resulting in my Master’s degree being obtained cum laude. Not only do I adore classical music, but I am equally zealous about popular and electronic music, composing and producing my own songs on Logic Pro X. Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoy DJing, recognizing the decks as an instrument in their own right and the power a fantastic mix of music has on an audience.

I have been teaching music for 15 years, both online and in schools around the world, including South Africa, South Korea, Dubai, and Thailand. I have taught all ages and various types of curricula, including the UK National Curriculum, New York State curriculum, South Korean MEST curriculum, as well as the South African CAPS and IB curricula. In 2021 I obtained my PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) diploma from the Nelson Mandela University cum laude specializing in high school Music and Creative Arts. The core principles of my teaching philosophy are rooted in a humanizing pedagogy with a reconstructionist view focusing on social justice, equality, social change, and empowerment. I use my personality and passion to deliver engaging and humorous lessons. This, combined with my positive demeanor and patience, creates a fun and effective learning environment for all students.