“First Sundays” Jazz Brunch Series at Symposium continues this June with the incredibly talented John Hasselback, Jr. on trombone and Lisa Hasselback on keyboard. Reservations are highly recommended.

John Hasselback, Jr. began his musical career at an early age, performing with his father as a young teenager. He received a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the Hartt School of Music, where he studied both Classical and Jazz Music, and apprenticed with the legendary Jackie McLean. He has since received Education and Graduate degrees from SUNY Fredonia and Empire State College. John has been very active as a performer, working across the United States and Europe with many noted Jazz artists including Jaki Byard, Don Menza, Maynard Ferguson, Roswell Rudd, Gap Mangione and Chuck Mangione. He is a featured soloist on recordings with Gap Mangione, Kenny Wheeler, and Don Menza. Recently, John was a featured member of the Don Menza Quintet, performing in Munich Germany, and performed as a member of the Ron Carter “Great Big Band” at Birdland in New York City. He has served as an Artistic Director for the Buffalo Jazz Collective, dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and advancing the rich Jazz heritage of Western New York.  John has been named "Top Jazz Trombonist in Western New York" by the JazzBuffalo poll numerous times, since the poll’s inception in 2014. John is currently in his 22nd year at West Seneca Central Schools, where he is the director of the Jazz Ensemble at West Senior High School and serves as the coordinator of the district's annual Jazz festival. Additionally, he serves as the Erie County Music Educators Association Chairman for Jazz.

Texas native, Lisa Hasselback received her high school education at Interlochen Arts Academy where she studied piano, oboe and mallet percussion.  She attended The Hartt  School of music at the University of Hartford and received her Bachelors degree in African-American Jazz Studies under the leadership of alto saxophonist, Jackie McLean. She received her master’s degree in Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.  She has taught elementary and middle school general music since 1988 and has been employed by Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union-Free School District since 1990.  Presently she teaches vocal music to kindergartners, 1st and 3rd graders at Hoover Elementary School. Lisa has played with the Buffalo Philharmonic Pops Orchestra for trumpeter Byron Stripling and vocalist Marva Hicks, The New York Voices, Liz Callaway singing the Carole King songbook; the American Idol winner, Melinda Doolittle; the concert opener for Gladys Knight, the BPO Prohibition Concert featuring vocalists Bronson Norris Murphy, Madison Claire Parks and Myra Maud and most recently she was a featured soloist for the Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole tribute concert entitled Unforgettable with vocalists Dee Daniels and Denzal Sinclaire.  Lisa has toured with The Four Lads, The Four Aces and The Chordettes.  She has played for Bob Newhart at Chautauqua Institute and with Houston Person at the Albright-Knox Summer Jazz Series. Through the years she has played in big bands and jazz festivals in the Buffalo area and continues to teach private lessons.