Joseph Bernardot, known professionally as Iasos, was a Greek-born American composer and musician born in Alexandroupolis, Greece on January 9, 1947. He began playing piano at age eight and flute at ten, later graduating from Cornell University. In the early 1970s, after moving to California, Iasos released his debut album Inter-Dimensional Music (1975), a pioneer of new-age music. He drew inspiration from spiritual experiences and influences such as Ottorino Respighi, Maurice Ravel, and Claude Debussy. Iasos's music was used by NASA and the Laserium light show, and his album Angelic Music (1978) featured the track "The Angels of Comfort", which was reported to be closest to the music heard during near-death experiences in a 1989 study conducted by Professor Joel Funk. Iasos continued releasing albums throughout his career, including Bora Bora 2000 (1991) and Celestial Soul Portrait (2013). He died on January 6, 2024, at the age of 76.
