Nathan Tran was born in 2003 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In his home town, he studied and performed classical repertoire as a soloist and in ensembles. After entering high school, he began to play jazz music and other popular styles — pop, RnB, funk, fusion, etc. He played with the Saskatoon Youth Jazz Orchestra and in small bands. While still a high schooler, he began teaching piano lessons to children. He studied the piano privately with Kathleen Solose, completing his ARCT studies in 2021. In Saskatoon, Nathan enjoyed playing soccer, reading about the natural world, exploring the city by bicycle, and learning to cook Vietnamese food from his father.
In 2021, Nathan flew away from home to attend Humber College for a Bachelor’s degree in music. He studied privately with Hilario Duran and Robi Botos. He played in ensembles led by Sam Dickinson, Luis Deniz, Jocelyn Gould, and Andrew Marzoto. His final recording project featured his original compositions performed alongside Steve Carson, James Griffith, Hiro Tanaka, and Daniel Villarraga. Nathan performs live music in Toronto and surrounding area as a bandleader, sideman, and solo pianist. He also teaches piano students.
While in the Toronto scene, Nathan’s piano study has been characterized by a love of bebop, swing music, and classical repertoire. His historical influences include Chopin, Ravel, Debussy, Scriabin, Barry Harris, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Teddy Wilson, Fats Waller, Coleman Hawkins, Kenny Clarke. Nathan mixes these musical styles together in approaching the standard jazz repertoire and in his own innovative compositions and arrangements.
