Murray Buitendag

Murray Buitendag is a jazz musician based in Cape Town, South Africa. He has performed locally and internationally for over 10 years.

Originally from East London, Murray started playing the euphonium at the age of 10, later switching to the trombone. He fell in love with jazz while studying at Stirling High School, and was selected for the National Schools Big Band on lead trombone in 2009 and 2010.

Murray graduated in 2014 with a degree in jazz performance from the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town. Throughout his four years at UCT, he was the lead trombonist for the UCT Big Band, under the leadership of Mike Campbell. Murray was selected for the National Youth Jazz Band in both 2013 and 2014. For over six years, he was a member of the band Grassy Spark, which toured extensively and played at every major festival in South Africa including Oppikoppi, Rocking the Daisies, and Splashy Fen.

In 2015, Murray co-led the AM Quartet on a tour of Sweden, where they performed at the Stockholm Jazz Festival to a sold-out crowd. In 2018, he released his debut album, “You’re My Everything,” which features the playing of Kingsley Buitendag, Stephen de Sousa, and Lumanyano Mzi.

Currently, Murray is pursuing a master’s degree in jazz music at UCT and is a part-time lecturer at the university. He also teaches brass instruction at Rustenburg Girls’ Junior School.