In addition, he is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, and has previously taught at Cameron University.
Joe Hasper studied composition at Carnegie-Mellon University with Dr. Marilyn Taft Thomas, Leonardo Balada, and had jazz coaching with Randy Purcell (Maynard Ferguson band, etc.) as well as master classes with Iannis Xenakis and Ward Swingle. In 1983 he composed the musical Carried Away for the Scotch 'n Soda Club; in 1984 he co-wrote the musical Salem After Midnight for the Scotch 'n Soda Club; in 1985 he wrote the performance art piece Movie Music with artist Mark Lieberman.
In addition to performing with the Carnegie-Mellon University Chorus and Jazz Ensemble, he played piano and keyboards in a series of bands performing everything from folk to fusion.
After earning a BFA in composition from Carnegie-Mellon University Joe Hasper studied jazz theory and arranging at the Mannes College of Music with Rich Shemeira and Phil Markowitz, completed music courses at the Armed Forces School of Music in 1986 and 1990, and earned additional music theory credits from the Army Institute for Professional Development.
In 2004 he completed a Masters Degree in Education from American Intercontinental University.
He has been active since 1981 as a piano soloist, sideman and combo leader. Most notable engagements include long-running jazz trio gigs at the Seoul Hyatt; keyboardist and arranger for Harriet Legrant from 1988-90; and keyboardist and arranger for The Great Scott Band in Asbury Park, NJ (1991-1993).
From 1986 to 1996 he found work as piano player and staff arranger in US Army Bands based in Alabama, Washington State, New Jersey and Korea. In addition to performing hundreds of engagements with big band, jazz combo, wind ensemble, marching band and as piano soloist, he led several very popular 8-10 piece show bands. In 2006 he retired from the Army as a major after earning four Meritorious Service Medals, seven Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, and numerous service badges. He was inducted into the Military Order of St. Christopher in 2002.
In addition to jazz compositions, over 100 of his band and wind ensemble works have been publicly performed by military, professional, amateur and school bands across the world. Highlights include the premiere of A Stephen Foster Medley at the opening of the Asiatic Bandmasters Conference in Seoul, Korea in 1988; performance of Concertino for Piano and Orchestra in 1990; a 45-minute patriotic program for the Monmouth New Jersey Indepencence Day Celebration and Concert in 1991; and the US premiere of Requiem For A Moment, a collaborative work for solo guitar and wind ensemble with guitarists Eric Peterson with Robert Laskee in 1993.
In 1992 his composition The Happy Camper won the American Federation of Music Clubs Four Star Composer's Award. In 2006 his guitar solo, Portrait of Scotland, was selected to be part of the alumni dislay during Carnegie-Mellon's centennial celebration (100% Centennial).
More recently he has begun to work on more orchestral commissions, and has written for The Holland Symphony Orchestra (2007 Petal Pops Concert, including 23 orchestral arrangements, and light music for their 2008 season), The Newburgh Symphony Orchestra (pops arrangement for their 2008 summer season), and The Carolina Cool Jazz Orchestra (many charts from 2006-2008).
Since 1998 he has owned and operated Jazz Charts Online, an online music publishing company located at www.jazz-charts.com. Joe Hasper is currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. His professional memberships include BMI and Amercian Composers Forum.
Recent non-jazz works include
- Densities (for orchestra) Portrait of Scotland (for solo classical guitar)
- Requiem Aeternam (for a capella chorus, SATB)
- The Age of Reason (for wind ensemble)
- Equillibrium (for guitar, violin, bassoon and horn) Concertino for Piano (for piano and orchestra)
- Two Sentiments (for piano)
- Ocean Sketches (for piano)
- Cseska Moderne (for piano)
- Prelude and March (for wind ensemble)
- Mel's Place (electronic)
- Three Traditional German Carols (for wind ensemble)
- A Stephen Foster Medley (for wind ensemble)
- The Happy Camper March (for wind ensemble)
- Requiem For A Moment (for wind ensemble and solo guitar)
