Biography and expertise
Professor of Practice / Jazz & Composition – Texas State University School of Music
• MacDowell Norton Stevens Fellow in Composition
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Jazz Composition (1979)
• Fulbright Senior Specialist in Jazz Studies
• National Endowment for the Arts Project Specialist
• Research Scholar, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University—Newark
• Recipient - Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly / Creative Activities; featured in Spotlight on Excellence at Texas State; Dean’s Seminar Award recipient
• Distinguished Academic Member, International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts, Athens Institute for Education and Research (Athens, Greece)
• Pianist with the Grammy®-nominated jazz ensemble John Mills Times Ten
• Co-leader, composer, and pianist with Double Vision, Austin jazz quartet performing all-original music
• Lifetime voting member of the The GRAMMY® Awards
• First Place, National Association of Composers USA – Composer Competition
• Recipient of the 2025 Aaron Copland Fund for Music Award for Performance Program
• Featured in national media, including All About Jazz and Voyage Austin
• MacDowell Norton Stevens Fellow in Composition
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Jazz Composition (1979)
• Fulbright Senior Specialist in Jazz Studies
• National Endowment for the Arts Project Specialist
• Research Scholar, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University—Newark
• Recipient - Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly / Creative Activities; featured in Spotlight on Excellence at Texas State; Dean’s Seminar Award recipient
• Distinguished Academic Member, International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts, Athens Institute for Education and Research (Athens, Greece)
• Pianist with the Grammy®-nominated jazz ensemble John Mills Times Ten
• Co-leader, composer, and pianist with Double Vision, Austin jazz quartet performing all-original music
• Lifetime voting member of the The GRAMMY® Awards
• First Place, National Association of Composers USA – Composer Competition
• Recipient of the 2025 Aaron Copland Fund for Music Award for Performance Program
• Featured in national media, including All About Jazz and Voyage Austin
Education
Master's Degree
MM in Music
University of Texas at Austin, 1976
Bachelor's Degree
BM in Music
University of Texas at Austin, 1975
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Intellectual Property
Copyrights
- “Theme from Carlos & Charlie's - for Steel Drum Band”, United States, Regular
Featured grants
- Hehmsoth, Henry (Supporting). 2024 National Endowment for the Humanities PBS/WVIA-TV - Eddie Durham Documentary, National Endowment for the Humanities, Federal. (Funded: February 1, 2024). Grant.
- Hehmsoth, Henry (Principal). 2026 Elevate Grant — Double Vision: Contemporary Jazz in Performance, Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment Department (AACME), Municipal, $6400. (Funded: 2026 - 2027). Grant.
- Hehmsoth, Henry. 2025 Aaron Copland Fund for Music Award, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Private / Foundation / Corporate. (Submitted: 2024, Funded: 2025). Grant.
- Hehmsoth, Henry. Golden Era of the Big Band Jazz Musicians: Reminiscences of NEA Jazz Master Dan Morgenstern, National Endowment for the Arts NEA ArtWorks, Federal, $25000. (Funded: June 2018 - December 2019). Grant.
- Hehmsoth, Henry. Proposal 295 Texas State University: Eddie Durham Celebration/Hill Country Jazz Festival, San Marcos Arts Commission, Municipal, $8000. (Funded: September 2017). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Hehmsoth, H. (2026, March 3). Kenny Dorham: The Composer in the Horn - A Verified Chronology, 1953–1964, N/A(N/A), N/A. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kenny-dorham-the-composer-in-the-horn-a-verified-chronology-1953-1964
- Hehmsoth, H. (2025, November 14). Songs for Nica: How Jazz Fell in Love with a Baroness, N/A(N/A), N/A. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/songs-for-nica-how-jazz-fell-in-love-with-a-baroness
- Hehmsoth, H. (2025, September 28). Eddie Durham: The Jazz Innovator a City Refuses to Forget. All About Jazz. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/eddie-durham-the-jazz-innovator-a-city-refuses-to-forget-eddie-durham
- Hehmsoth, H. (2025, June 5). Charles Rangel: Harlem’s Congressman, Jazz’s Quiet Witness. All About Jazz. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/charles-rangel-harlems-congressman-jazzs-quiet-witness
- Hehmsoth, H. (2025, May 9). Unearthed & Unforgettable: The Lost Tapes of Just Jazz. All About Jazz. Retrieved from https://www.allaboutjazz.com/unearthed-and-unforgettable-the-lost-tapes-of-just-jazz
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Aaron Copland Fund for Music Award – Performance Program 2025, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. January 4, 2025 - December 31, 2025
- Award / Honor Recipient: ASCAP Plus Award, The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publisher. January 8, 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Research Enhancement Program "Blue Drifter" jazz album recording, Texas State University. January 8, 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Dean’s Seminar Award, College of Fine Arts – Texas State University. 2015
- Award / Honor Recipient: ASCAP Plus 2025 Award for ASCAP writer activity in 2025, ASCAP PLUS AWARDS PANEL Jazz Division. December 19, 2025 - Present
Featured service activities
- President
The Austin Jazz Composers Collective
- Chair
H Project Performing Arts Association (HPPAA) a 501 C3 non-profit organization
- Other
Grammy in the Schools - NARAS National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
- Other
Certified School of Music TSP Technical Support Person
- Reviewer / Referee
Fulbright Specialist Peer Reviewer - U.S. Department of State Cycle 1, 2, 3, 5 - 2023
- Other
School of Music Website