John Hasselback, III

Hasselback has sharpened his voice both on the bandstand and in the classroom, balancing rigorous study with real-world performance. He was awarded a prestigious full-tuition Doctoral Fellowship at the Eastman School of Music, a Graduate Talent Scholarship at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, and a full-tuition scholarship to the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School of Music. Throughout his education, Hasselback had the privilege of studying with master trumpeters Freddie Hendrix, Ingrid Jensen, Jon Faddis, and Clay Jenkins, as well as renowned arrangers Dave Rivello and Bill Dobbins.

Nationally recognized for both his artistry and leadership, Hasselback was selected for the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program in 2016, named Buffalo’s Jazz Rising Star in 2017, and recognized as the Hartford Jazz Society’s Emerging Jazz Artist in 2018. He was also a recipient of the 2019 Pathways to Jazz grant. His critically acclaimed debut album of original compositions, Entrance (2021), features an all-star lineup including trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, drummer Jonathan Barber, pianist Taber Gable, and bassist Luques Curtis. The album reached the top 20 on jazz radio charts in both the U.S. and Europe. In honor of his significant contributions to music, culture, and arts education in his community, the New York State Legislature of Erie County has issued formal resolutions celebrating Hasselback’s achievements.

Hasselback has performed alongside numerous Grammy Award-winning artists and esteemed musicians, including Steve Davis, Rene McLean, Nat Reeves, Gary Smulyan, Wayne Escoffery, Pete Malinverni, Doug Weiss, Jay Ashby, Jamey Haddad, Ken Peplowski, Joe Lovano, and NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath among many others. He has performed at top-tier venues such as The Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, The Apollo Music Café, The Side Door Jazz Club, The Northwest Jazz Festival, The Albright Knox Summer Jazz Stage, The Handel Performing Arts Center, The Purchase Performing Arts Center, The White Plains Jazz Festival, The Hartford Jazz Cruise, and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As a leader in his current projects, Hasselback continues to develop his compositional voice. His work embraces both intimate jazz chamber music and expansive pieces for jazz and symphonic orchestras.

As a music industry professional, Hasselback’s expertise spans audio engineering, mixing and mastering, graphic design, videography, and album release administration. He has collaborated with notable clients such as Michael Weiss, Greg Skaff, Alex Tremblay, Clifton Anderson, John Bacon, Leon Dorsey, Andrew Carroll, and James Burton, among others. His research and deep interest in all aspects of the recording industry remain an integral part of his practice.

Driven by a passion for music teaching and learning, Dr. Hasselback has held faculty positions as Instructor of Jazz Trumpet and Ensembles at Syracuse University, Instructor of Jazz Theory and Ensembles at the Eastman School of Music, and as the James R. ’58 and Susan Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow in Jazz History at the Oberlin Conservatory. Hasselback is currently an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at SUNY Purchase College. He frequently serves as a clinician and guest artist, engaging with music education organizations, students, and ensembles nationwide.

Dr. John Hasselback III proudly performs as a Schilke Trumpet endorsing Artist.