Louis W. Ballard
Encyclopedia
Louis W. Ballard was a Native American
composer
, educator, author
, artist
, and journalist
.
, Quapaw
, French and Scottish heritage, was born in the Native American community of Devil's Promenade, located near Quapaw
, in northeast Oklahoma
. His Quapaw name was Honganozhe, meaning "Stands With Eagles."
Ballard studied music at the University of Oklahoma
and the University of Tulsa
, where his composition instructor was Bela Rozsa; he later studied privately with Darius Milhaud
, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
, Carlos Surinach
, and Felix Labunski. He moved to Santa Fe
, New Mexico
in 1962, and became an instructor at the Institute of American Indian Arts
, teaching there until 1975.
Ballard composed of numerous orchestral, choral, and chamber works, many composed on Native American themes or to texts in Native American languages. In addition, compiled several volumes of Native American songs for classroom use. His best known pieces are "Incident at Wounded Knee" and "Why the Duck Has a Short Tail".
Ballard died February 9, 2007, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 75 years old, and had battled cancer for about five years before his death.
His music was celebrated with three concerts at the National Museum of the American Indian
in Washington, D.C.
in 2006, and a memorial concert was held there on November 10, 2007.http://www.nmai.si.edu/cn07/schedule.html
, Ford Foundation
, and National Endowment for the Arts
. In February 1997 he received a Lifetime Musical Achievement Award from the First Americans in the Arts
in Beverly Hills, California
. The College of Santa Fe
and William Jewell College
awarded him honorary Doctor of Music degrees. In 2004 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
.http://www.omhof.com/news/Inductees/Dr.LouisBallard-2-1.html He was initiated into the Alpha Chi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
at University of Tulsa in 1952.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, educator, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
Life
Ballard, who was of CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, Quapaw
Quapaw
The Quapaw people are a tribe of Native Americans who historically resided on the west side of the Mississippi River in what is now the state of Arkansas.They are federally recognized as the Quapaw Tribe of Indians.-Government:...
, French and Scottish heritage, was born in the Native American community of Devil's Promenade, located near Quapaw
Quapaw, Oklahoma
Quapaw is a town in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 984 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.-History:...
, in northeast Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. His Quapaw name was Honganozhe, meaning "Stands With Eagles."
Ballard studied music at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and the University of Tulsa
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
, where his composition instructor was Bela Rozsa; he later studied privately with Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was an Italian composer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In 1939 he migrated to the United States and became a film composer for some 200 Hollywood movies for the next...
, Carlos Surinach
Carlos Surinach
Carlos Surinach was a Catalan Spanish-born composer and conductor.He was born in Barcelona, where he held conducting posts at the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona and the Gran Teatre del Liceu...
, and Felix Labunski. He moved to Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
in 1962, and became an instructor at the Institute of American Indian Arts
Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts is a college focused on Native American art. It is situated in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is congressionally chartered, and was created by an executive order of former American President John F. Kennedy in 1962...
, teaching there until 1975.
Ballard composed of numerous orchestral, choral, and chamber works, many composed on Native American themes or to texts in Native American languages. In addition, compiled several volumes of Native American songs for classroom use. His best known pieces are "Incident at Wounded Knee" and "Why the Duck Has a Short Tail".
Ballard died February 9, 2007, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 75 years old, and had battled cancer for about five years before his death.
His music was celebrated with three concerts at the National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 2006, and a memorial concert was held there on November 10, 2007.http://www.nmai.si.edu/cn07/schedule.html
Awards
Ballard was the recipient of grants from the Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, and National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
. In February 1997 he received a Lifetime Musical Achievement Award from the First Americans in the Arts
First Americans in the Arts
First Americans in the Arts is a non-profit organization based in Beverly Hills, California. According to its website, the organization was created "to recognize, honor and promote American Indian participation in the powerful arena of the entertainment industry, incorporating the areas of film,...
in Beverly Hills, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The College of Santa Fe
College of Santa Fe
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an institution of creative and performing arts based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The university offers programs in creative writing, theatre, art, graphic design, moving image arts , music, and photography, based on a liberal arts core curriculum...
and William Jewell College
William Jewell College
William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...
awarded him honorary Doctor of Music degrees. In 2004 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, located in Muskogee, Oklahoma, honors Oklahoma musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Muskogee...
.http://www.omhof.com/news/Inductees/Dr.LouisBallard-2-1.html He was initiated into the Alpha Chi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
at University of Tulsa in 1952.
Filmography
- 1971 - Discovering American Indian Music. Directed by Bernard Wilets. Barr Films.
External links
- Louis W. Ballard official site via Internet Archive
- Louis W. Ballard page from Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
- Program note for Incident at Wounded Knee, from American Composers Orchestra site
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Ballard, Louis
- Louis W. Ballard obituary, by David Collins and Craig Smith, from The New Mexican
- "American Indian Composers Go Classical", by Felix Contreras, from All Things Considered, January 1, 2009