Hehmsoth is the MacDowell Norton Stevens Fellow in Composition, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow in Jazz Composition, and is a Fulbright Specialist in American Studies, one of a distinguished group of U.S. professionals who travels abroad through the Fulbright Program. Hehmsoth conducted master classes of contemporary American jazz in performance and theory at the Pro Jazz Professional Institute, Santiago, Chile, Summer 2013. He held seminars of commercial arranging and composition for television and film, as well as website development, publicity and promotion. He returned to Chile in 2016 as a Senior Fulbright Specialist, giving 6 weeks of seminars, including a national Chilean tour of concert performances.

In September 2014, he was invited as a trainer/clinician for a week w professional Army and Air Force career musicians, care of the US Dept. of Defense – DOD, Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Hank received the 2014 Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, is a Spotlight on Excellence at Texas State University, and is the 2015 recipient of the Dean’s Seminar Award.

He is a Distinguished Academic Member of the 6th Annual International Conference on Visual and Performing Arts, 1-4 June 2015, Athens, Greece.

Hank is pianist with the Grammy© nominated jazz group Times Ten, and is showcased at the 2015 Jazz Education Network (JEN) 6th Annual International Conference in San Diego, January 7-10, 2015.

He placed first in the 2010 National Association of Composers USA, and was a member of the Austin-Texas based Christopher Cross group, which won five GRAMMY© Awards as well as an Academy Award© for best song.

He presents a social context in his compositions, embodying a compelling consciousness for music to reflect positively on our place in a global community. As a performing artist with a career spanning over three decades, Hank has remarkably played over 10,000 international, national, state and regional area performances, from classical to jazz to pop/rock, as well as Broadway, concert tour music, nightclubs, and symphony.

He is a lifetime voting member for the GRAMMY© Awards. Hank teaches Composition and Jazz Piano, and is the Director of Computer Applications and WebMaster for the School of Music.

“I am out to create a new, signature American sound, from a synthesis of contemporary art music, jazz, and world music, with a global approach and unique blend of influences, that gives my music a brand, its own distinctive place in the international scene. I wish to push my music in new directions, and continue focusing on socially engaged programming.”

Hank’s students play piano, bass, sax, flute, guitar, and have won awards and scholarships including Berklee School and the Patti Strickel Harrison Scholarship. Composition students learn commercial arranging and contemporary techniques in jazz. His studio includes international students from Serbia, China, and South America.