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.
Career 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 Juilliard, 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 Papers 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