Born in Devil’s Promenade, OK, July 8, 1931
Died in Santa Fe, Feb 9, 2007
- Native American composer and educator of Cherokee Indian, Quapaw Indian, French, and Scottish descent.
- As a composer, Ballard’s music synthesizes 20th Century classical techniques and Native American elements and traditions.
- Growing up, Ballard took traditional voice and piano lessons while also actively participating in the War Dance Society of the Quapaw and other Native American community events.
- After obtaining his master’s degree in composition from University of Tulsa, Ballard studied privately with he studied privately with composers Darius Milhaud, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Carlos Surinach, and Felix Labunski.1
“An intimate knowledge of Amerindian culture enabled him to create innovative works in many genres that sensitively and respectfully recreate tribal worlds.”
Grove Music Online2
Learn More:
“The Legacy of Louis Ballard, father of Native American Music” from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Sources
- John-Carlos Perea, “Louis Ballard,” Encyclopedia Britannica (2023), accessed October 13, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Ballard.
- Charlotte J. Frisbie, “Ballard, Louis W(ayne),” Grove Music Online, (2001),
accessed October 13, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000048581.