Oklahoma Journeys
Week of June 28, 2008
Composer Louis Ballard is Born, 1931
This week on Oklahoma Journeys it’s a birthday party, and we’re all invited! It’s common knowledge that dozens of well-known performers, artists, and entertainers have emerged from Oklahoma. From opera houses to the cheesiest of reality television, Oklahoma talent it seems is always highly regarded. We’re celebrating another Oklahoma talent this week on Oklahoma Journeys from the Oklahoma History Center.
From the Oklahoma History Center, this is Oklahoma Journeys. I’m Michael Dean.
Oklahoma has so many famous sons and daughters that at times it seems a bit mundane to talk about all of the various Sooner State celebrities At times, however, some Oklahoma talent receives less publicity than others, and the discrepancy doesn’t seem to be based on the level of talent or achievement. In the field of classical music many Oklahomans have achieved success, but you hear relatively little of these performers. One person in particular has achieved a remarkable level of success during his seventy-seven years. A composer, conductor, historian and storyteller, this person has received standing ovations and thrilled audiences in some of the greatest concert halls around the world. Major premieres of his works have been held at Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian, and at the Lincoln Center.
Louis Ballard was born in this week of 1931 near Quapaw, Oklahoma. Of Cherokee and Quapaw descent, Ballard began at an early age to mix his Native American heritage with elements of classical music. He attended school at the University of Tulsa and the University of Oklahoma, obtaining among other degrees a Master’s in music composition before moving on to New Mexico. Later he earned honorary doctorates from New Mexico and William and Jewel Colleges. Ballard has served in a variety of roles including musical director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, Director of Music Curriculum Programs for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as authoring a textbook and CD on Native American Indian Songs.
His compositions and music have received high praise from around the world, and all of them utilize elements of both Native American and classical work. In his work, “Why the Duck Has a Short Tail,” Ballard utilizes a symphony orchestra, a narrator, and at times life size puppets in order to relate the tale. Other Ballard works include “Scenes from Indian Life”, “Katcina Dances for Cello and Piano”, and “Incident At Wounded Knee” among others. In 1999 Dr. Ballard was the first American composer to present a concert of his work in the Beethoven-House Chamber Music Hall in Bonn, Germany. In 2004 after more than fifty years of internationally recognized work, Ballard was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. The world and Oklahoma says “Happy Birthday” to Oklahoma composer, Louis Ballard, born in this week of 1931.
You can learn more about Louis Ballard and other composers from Oklahoma by visiting the research library at the Oklahoma History Center on NE 23rd Street just east of the state capitol in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma History Center is open seven days a week, while the research library is open six days a week. Oklahoma Journeys is a production of the Oklahoma History Center and is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and sharing of our state’s past. From the Oklahoma History Center, I’m Michael Dean.