Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ken Moran grew up in a very musical environment and studied with many renown saxophonists in the area. Ken began playing saxophone in elementary school and soon discovered his love for Jazz and music around age 12. Ken was recognized for his musical talent at a young age, winning numerous awards in high school like the Woody Herman Jazz Award and Outstanding Musicianship at the Reno Jazz Festival every year from 1998-2002.
In 2007, Ken completed his Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Northridge. More recently in 2022, he completed his Master of Music degree at San Jose State University. He has performed numerous times internationally in France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, and Japan. Performances have included acclaimed festivals like the Reno Jazz Festival, the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz a Vienne, and venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center, Catalina’s Jazz Club, Yoshi’s Jazz Club. His saxophone teachers have included Dann Zinn, Dave Ellis, Rob Lockhart, Bob Sheppard, Walter Smith III, and Seamus Blake. Over the past 10 years, Ken has been heavily involved with the diverse music scene in Los Angeles, playing Saxophone, Clarinet, and Flute in all genres of music and teaching woodwinds privately. In 2007, he founded the At Home Music Academy, making quality in-home music education more accessible for students and families in the Los Angeles area. Ken has now returned to his long-time home of the San Francisco Bay Area where he teaches privately from his studios in Mountain View and Cupertino. In 2019, Ken published his first instructional music book, Beginning Saxophone—Everything You Need and More in the First Year of Playing. He can be seen performing with his quartet and many other groups throughout the Bay Area.
EDUCATION
B.M. California State University, Northridge, 2007.
M.M. San Jose State University, 2022.