Professor Jon Hamar is a versatile artist whose ability to find a tasteful, unique voice in any musical situation has made him a staple in the music scene.

Jon earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Double Bass Performance from Eastern Washington University under the tutelage of Russian bassist Roma Vayspapir. While in Spokane Hamar performed with the Spokane Symphony and the Bob Curnow Big Band. Hamar continued on to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where he graduated with a Master’s degree in Jazz and Contemporary Media in 2001. While at Eastman Jon studied with Jeff Campbell,  James VanDemark, Harold Danko, Fred Sturm and Clay Jenkins.

In 2012 Jon joined the faculty at the Centrum Jazz Workshop under Artistic Director John Clayton and in 2015 joined the faculty at the University of Tennessee. Hamar is currently Associate Professor of Bass, Jazz and Classical at the Nathalie L. Haslam School of Music at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Jon began performing with the Jeff Hamilton Trio in July of 2018 and in the same year joined the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra under the direction of John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton and Jeff Clayton.  Jon Has performed with the CHJO extensively in Europe and the United States.