BIOGRAPHY

Stellenbosch-based drummer, composer and educator Pascal Haas has made music his central focus. From an early age, he gained extensive experience in playing jazz drums, which opened the door to further studies in jazz and popular music. He commenced these studies in 2016 at the University for Arts and Applied Sciences in Freiburg. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in performance and pedagogy in 2020, he relocated to Munich to pursue a Master’s degree in Jazz Education.

This move was a pivotal moment in his early career. He joined the Bavarian Youth Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Harald Rüschenbaum, and performed alongside The New York Voices and Jay Ashby. Furthermore, Pascal established connections with the local jazz community in Munich, performing at the renowned Jazzclub Unterfahrt on several occasions. During his tenure at the university, he served as the core drummer for the University Bigband, where he collaborated with renowned artists such as Joe Haider and Jane Monheit at the Philharmonic in Munich. Additionally, he shared the stage with Dennis Montgomery III, Gary Barone, Jiggs Whigham, and numerous other accomplished musicians.

In 2022, he set up his own ensemble with some of Munich’s most talented jazz musicians. In this ensemble, he shows off his amazing ability to compose original music and arrangements that blend Afrobeat, traditional jazz from the US, and South African jazz.

As a teacher, Pascal gained lots of experience teaching in public music schools in Germany. He also gave workshops and drum lessons about jazz in various countries, such as India and Nepal. Recently, he gave workshops in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and conducted a local Big Band at the Jazz @Tohatohabato festival.

Thanks to his studies in Munich, he found his way to Stellenbosch University for the first time in 2022. He got to engage with the music of South Africa and the local musicians of Cape Town, sharing the stage with some amazing musicians like Ramon Alexander, Schalk Joubert, Muneeb Hermans, Blake Hellaby, and many more. These experiences really inspired him, and he's now decided to stay in Stellenbosch for the next three years to do his PhD at Stellenbosch University, and teach at the Department of Music, such as conducting the SU Jazz Band.