READ ABOUT ME
Nick Hmeljak is a trumpet and composer based in Kansas City, MO. His fusion quintet, Open Channel, performs regularly around the midwest. Open Channel plays original music and choice standards inspired by Black American Music of the 60s to present day. Sharing the band's lived experiences with its audience, each song is dedicated to evoking a feeling or memory that is ubiquitous to the human experience. Open Channel creates this atmosphere through collective improvisation on written themes, inviting listeners to join the band’s sensitive listening environment.
In addition to band leading, Nick is a Charlotte Street Resident and performs regularly as a sideman for R&B, Cumbia, Musical Theater, and party bands in addition to doing masterclasses, clinics, and private lessons for local high school music programs. Nick graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2023 with a B.M in Jazz Studies and has been a student of Adam Larson, Stan Kessler, Jamey Simmons, and Michael Arndt.
DEBUT ALBUM "ALIVE" COMING AUGUST 2026
TESTIMONIALS
“Open Channel, led by Nick Hmeljak, provided a fantastic master class for the Shawnee Mission South jazz band. It was so inspiring for my students to not just hear the great musicianship but also to see the constant non-verbal communication between these incredible musicians during each number! Each musician has so much passion for their craft! My students loved the chance to ask questions of the performers and some even had the opportunity to sit in on a blues number! Great session!” - Steve Adams, Shawnee Mission South High School Band Director (Masterclass, Winter 2026)
