- Source: Esther Ballou
Biography and Career
Esther Williamson Ballou (17 July 1915 – 12 March 1973) was an American composer, music educator, organist, pianist, and accompanist. She was born in Elmira, New York, and died in Chichester, England. Ballou began piano lessons at 4 years old, organ lessons at age 13, and began composing in her twenties. At 14, she performed a piano concerto with the Elmira Symphony Orchestra, and two years prior won first prize through the state of New York for her piano playing.
She graduated from Bennington College in 1937 with a Bachelor of Arts, Mills College in 1938 with a Master of Arts, and The Juilliard School of Music in 1943 for a graduate fellowship. At Bennington, located in Vermont, she took composition lessons with Otto Luening. At Juliard, located in New York City, she studied composition with Bernard Wagenaar and privately from Wallingford Riegger.
During her time at Bennington College, Ballou fostered a musical interest in Modern Dance and Ballet, and began composing music. While a student there, she composed two ballets, Earth Sage for Louise Kloepper, and Lysistrata for José Limón. Until 1942, she toured the United States with multiple dance troupes as an accompanist and composer, including for Marion Van Tuyl's dance group. She won fellowships to the MacDowell Colony in 1944, 1945, 1954, and 1955. She also participated in the Middlebury Composer's Conference and the Bennington Composer's Conference as a member of the composer's staff.
Ballou taught at the Juilliard School from 1943–50, at Catholic University from 1951–54, and at American University from 1955–72. Her performing career as an organist was shortened by arthritis.
In 1963, her Capriccio for Violin and Piano was the first work by an American woman composer to premiere at the White House.
Ballou describes her music as ‘tending towards classicism in that it stresses clarity of design and directness of expression’.
The American University's Library Archives hold the Esther Williamson Ballou Papers, which is an archive that "consist of [her] audiotapes, biographical materials, correspondence (1935-1980), writings and compositions (1936-1972), photographs, programs, and teaching materials." There are also photocopies of several of her manuscripts at the New York Public Library Archives.
Family
After completing her education, she married Harold Ballou in August 1950 and moved to Washington, DC. Her parents were E. Duff and Marbury Clark Williamson.
Works
Ballou composed orchestra, chamber, organ, piano and vocal music. Several of her works were published by ACA. Pieces listed as "Completed Scores and Parts, Sketches" in the Esther Williamson Ballou Paper's include:
Nocturne, 1937
Adagio for Bassoon and String Orchestra, 1962
Allegro for String Quartet
The Art of the Fugue, 1963
A Babe is Born, 1959
Bag of Tricks, 1956
The Beatitudes, 1963
Beguine, 1960
Beguine for Two Pianos, 1958
Berceuse for Piano Forte, 1956
Blues, 1944
Brass Sextette with Piano Forte, 1962
Bride, 1963
Capriccio for Violin and Piano, 1963
Christmas Mass (Palestrina)
Chromatic Invention
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, 1964
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, 1964
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, 1965
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, 1964
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, 196-
Dance Suite for Piano, 1956
Dance Suite for Piano, 1960
Dialogues for Oboe and Guitar, 1966
Dialogues for Oboe and Guitar, 1967
Discussion of Maan
Divertimento for String Quartet, 1958
Early American Portrait, 1962
Early American Portrait 1962
Early American Portrait 1964
Early American Portrait, Wild Geese, 1964
Elegy for Cello Solo, 1969
Fantasia Brevis for Oboe and Strings, 1952
Fantasia Brevis II, 1952
For Art Nagle on His Birthday January 30, 1968
Forty Finger Beguine, 1952
Four Hand Suite September, 1957
Fugue from the Score for an Educational Animated Film
Haiku, 1968
Hear Us!, 1968
I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, 1965
If Truth in Hearts that Perish, 1937
Impertinence for Clarinet and Two Pianos, 1936
Impromptu for Organ, 1968
In Memoriam, 1960
In Memoriam 1962
Intermezzo for Orchestra, 1943
Jazz Theme and Variations, 1936
Konzertstuck, 1972
Let-Down, 1937
Look Not in My Eyes, 1937
Loveliest of Trees, 1937
The Masque of the Red Death
May the Words, 1967
Merely a Beginning, 1937
Minutiae for Flute and Piano, 1953
Un Morceau d’Ensable sur le Nom d’Elmira, 1972
Music for the Theatre, 1952
Nocturne for String Quartet
O the Sun Come Up-Up-Up in the Opening, 1966
Oboe Concertino, 1953
Passacaglia and Toccata, 1962
A Passing Word, 1960
A Plaintive Note, 1952
Pocahontas- Incomplete Opera (Orchestration by Esther Williamson Ballou)
Pop Goes the Weasel, 1943
Portrait I, 1968
Prelude I for Piano, 1960
Prelude 1, 2, and 3 for Piano, 1939
Prelude and Allegro for String Orchestra and Piano, 1949
Prelude and Allegro for String Orchestra and Piano, 1952
Prelude and Allegro for String Orchestra and Piano, 1959
Prelude and Gigue, 1948
Pride, Envy, Sloth, Lust, Anger, 1960
Prism for String Trio, 1969
Quest for the Dance, 1960
Romanza, 1969
Rondino for Harpsichord, 1961
Rumba on Riverside Drive
The Sandbox (Orchestra by Esther Williamson Ballou)
The Sea in Maine
The Shepherd, 1944
Sonata for Piano, 1955
Sonata for Piano, 1959
Sonata for Two Pianos, 1949
Sonata for Two Pianos, 1959
Sonata No. 2 for 2 Pianos, 1959
Sonata for Violin and Pianoforte, 1937
Sonatina, 1941
Sonatina No. 2, 1967
A Song, 1938
A Song, 1949
Street Scenes, 1960
Suite for Chamber Orchestra, 1939
Suite for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra
Suite for Cello and Piano
Suite for Winds, 1956
Suite for Winds, 1957
A Telephone Number
Themes and Variations on Shenandoah Alma Mater, 1959
Time, 1937
Trial Run, 1969
Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano, 1958
Trio for Violin, Cello, and Pianoforte, 1956
The Trumpet Blues, 1946
Up to the Silence, 1968
Variation for Gail, 1964
Variations, Scherzo, and Fugue on a Theme by Lou Harrison, 1959
Violin Sonatina, 1959
War Lyrics: Bacchanal, Blues Duet, Norse Duet, 1940
What if a Much of a Which of a Wind, 1959
Whip-Pour-Will
Wind Quintette, 1953
Analyses:
Sonata for Piano
For a full analysis of this piece, see Richard Donald Ringenwald's master's thesis
Suite for Winds, 1957
For a full analysis of this piece, see Tyler J. Kimball's master's thesis
Dance Suite, 1936-1937
She published a textbook:
Creative Explorations of Musical Elements (1971)
References
External links
Concerto for Solo Guitar and Chamber Orchestra (1963) from YouTube