Faculty Profile for Hank Hehmsoth

profile photo for Hank Hehmsoth
Hank Hehmsoth
Associate Professor of Practice — School of Music
MUS 237
phone: (512) 245-8573
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 • 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, NJ

• Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Spotlight on Excellence at Texas State University, recipient of the Dean’s Seminar Award

• Distinguished Academic Member of the International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts, Athens Institute for Education and Research, Athens, Greece

• Pianist with the Grammy© nominated jazz group Times Ten

• Composer/Pianist for Double Vision™, a premier Austin jazz quartet performing all original compositions

• Lifetime voting member for the GRAMMY© Awards

• 1st place National Association of Composers USA, Composer Competition

Teaching Interests

 • Contemporary Concepts of Jazz Theory & Composition

• Classical & Jazz - Advanced Piano Technique

• Music Technology for Musicians: websites, promotion, A/V production

• Spreading American Jazz to nations across the world, as an International Music Ambassador: sponsored by the U.S. State Department

"Music transcends borders, languages, politics and is a great universal common language for the people on earth"

Research Interests

 • Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies External Research Scholar: "Morgenstern memorabilia"

• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA): "Dan Morgenstern Collection"

• Soon to be Published Book: "Symmetry in Jazz"

• Thelonious Monk: "The Works for Piano"

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • composer, pianist, soloist, Double Vision takes the stage with their electrifying performance - live at SXSW. March 14, 2024.
    Performances:
    • DOUBLE VISION - LIVE AT SXSW. March 14, 2024 Elephant Room, Swift Building, 315 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701.
  • Advisor, Consultant, Cast Member, and Artwork Contributor, PBS documentary Wham-Re- Bop-Boom-Bam: The Swing Jazz of Eddie Durham - PBS/WVIA-TV. January 2024 - February 1, 2024.
    Showings:
    • World Premiere. February 9, 2024 - February 29, 2024 Austin PBS - KLRU.
  • composer, leader, pianist, Austin Jazz Society presents Double Vision at Monks Jazz Club. January 24, 2024.
    Performances:
    • Austin Jazz Society presents "Double Vision". January 24, 2024 Monks Jazz Club, 501 Pedernales, Austin, TX.
  • Soloist, Pianist, Dallas Museum of Art presents "Jazz Under The Stars" with Count Basie vocalist Carmen Bradford. November 2023 - November 4, 2023.
    Performances:
    • Jazz Under the Stars. November 4, 2023 Klyde Warren Park, Klyde Warren Park 1909 Woodall Rodgers Freeway Suite 403 Dallas, TX 75201.
  • Director, Arranger, Band Leader, Pianist, Georgetown Jazz Festival - A Night of Blues & Jazz. May 12, 2023.
    Performances:
    • Georgetown Jazz Festival - A Night of Blues & Jazz. May 12, 2023 KLETT PAC, Georgetown, TX.

Selected Awards

  • 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 Nominee: ASCAP Plus 2024 Award for ASCAP writer activity in 2023, ASCAP PLUS AWARDS PANEL Jazz Division. June 8, 2024 - Present
  • Award / Honor Nominee: Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, Texas State University. January 2020 - Present

Selected Grants

  • Hehmsoth, Henry (Supporting). 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). Research Enhancement Program Award 2023, Institutional (Higher Ed), $7750. (Submitted: 2023, Funded: July 2023 - May 2024). 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.
  • Hehmsoth, Henry. FULBRIGHT SPECIALIST GRANT, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Federal, $8500. (Funded: 2016). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

President
The Austin Jazz Composers Collective
March 2023-Present
Certified School of Music TSP Technical Support Person
Certified School of Music TSP Technical Support Person
January 28, 2023-Present
Chair
H Project Performing Arts Association (HPPAA) a 501 C3 non-profit organization
2005-Present
Guest Performing Artist; Student Mentor; Featured Speaker
Grammy in the Schools - NARAS National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
1999-Present
Reviewer / Referee
Fulbright Specialist Peer Reviewer - U.S. Department of State Cycle 1, 2, 3, 5 - 2023
January 10, 2023-October 31, 2023