Roman ROZIER is A third-year student in the Grande École Program at IÉSEG, but also a pianist at the Paris Regional Conservatory and a music composer. He shares with us his musical journey—one that, despite appearances, has been anything but smooth sailing.
In January 2026, Roman made a lasting impression by donating a piano to the School. Installed on the Paris-La Défense campus, the instrument is accessible to all students, professors, and administrative staff. Its inauguration was an immediate success. “So many people, of all skill levels, come to play. Some even stay until 8:00 PM to practice, while others play duets. It creates a bond and brings even more life to the campus,” Roman says enthusiastically.
A lifelong passion and a demanding path
For Roman, music is no recent discovery. At the age of 5, his parents enrolled him in the municipal Conservatory in Paris. “I used to sneak onto my parents’ electronic keyboard, even though I wasn’t really supposed to… I did it anyway because I found it fun,” he recalls. Music runs in the family: his father is a clarinetist and saxophonist, and his aunt is a choral conductor at the Cairo Opera.
At 7, Roman had to choose his instrument. The piano was the obvious choice, but the competition was cutthroat. “There was a ranking system, and you had to be in the top 20 out of 150 applicants to get the piano. I got one of the last spots,” he explains. This early selection process marked the start of an intense and demanding path: “If you don’t get into a conservatory by the time you’re 10 at the latest, it’s almost mission impossible to join later because the bar is set so high.”
The conservatory’s pace is intense: 13 to 14 straight years of mandatory music theory, choir, and a relentless push for perfection. “The professors are incredibly demanding. You always feel like even if you practice four hours a day, it’s still not enough,” he explains. “By 14, I honestly felt a bit fed up.” However, after that period of doubt, his passion for the piano came back even stronger. At 17, Roman discovered a new side of his art: composition.
Composition: creating freedom
Unlike classical performance, which is rigid by nature, composition gives Roman total creative freedom. “I love the freedom that comes with composing. It’s a world away from performing a piece you’re sometimes forced to play.” Inspired by Sofiane Pamart—the French pianist who broke the mold of classical music—Roman hopes to “leave something impactful and lasting in the music world” through his own work. “I want to help democratize classical music so that everyone, regardless of their background, can connect with and enjoy it.”
Today, Roman has nearly 250,000 followers on TikTok, where he shares videos of himself playing in public spaces, and counts over 170 000 plays on Spotify—and he’s just getting started.
Balancing higher education and the Conservatory: Sacrifices fueled by determination
In 2024, he attempted the entrance exam for the Paris Regional Conservatory. It is a highly demanding competition featuring two required pieces and a live sight-reading: “You barely have 30 seconds to look at the score before playing the piece directly in front of the jury.” Despite an initial setback, Roman did not give up and retook the exam the following year. This perseverance earned him a spot for the September 2025 intake.
Managing business school studies alongside a curriculum at the Regional Conservatory is a daily challenge. Thanks to his status as a “student-artist” at IÉSEG, Roman benefits from some flexibility in his schedule, but this balance inevitably requires sacrifices. “I used to be involved in student associations, I was a member of the Student Council (BDE), and I went out at night with my friends. Now, all that is over because I prefer to focus on the piano. It’s not always easy to turn down a trip to the bar with friends, but I’ve decided to fully commit to my success at the conservatory.”
For Roman, IÉSEG represents a balance between a generalist education that can open many doors and the pursuit of his musical passion. He looks forward to a future that marries both. “The ideal would be to live full-time as a composer, working with singers, having started my own production company—thanks in particular to the knowledge acquired at IÉSEG,” he confides, “or perhaps working in the marketing department of a major record label.” Despite his unconventional profile and his dream of being a composer, he operates on a simple principle: “If I have a dream and I think about it every single day of the week, then I believe it must be achievable.”
Music as a philosophy of life
Beyond the technical skill, music is Roman’s outlet—a way to hit the “pause” button on life. “The piano is a great stress-reliever for me. Just taking a break to play clears my head. It’s like a workout! After thousands of hours of practice, your fingers aren’t the ones playing anymore. It’s your whole soul and your whole body.”