Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate (born in Norman, Oklahoma, 1968) is a Chickasaw Indian classical composer and pianist. A citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, he is one of only a handful of American Indian classical composers, and his compositions show the influence of American Indian history and culture, though filtered through a modern lens, in the manner of the works of Béla Bartók. He describes himself as "dedicated to spending my life looking for Indian solutions in classical music composition."

Tate grew up in Oklahoma. He comes from a musical family, with both of his parents involved with music and theater. His father was a Chickasaw classical pianist and his mother was a Manx-Irish choreographer and professor of dance; the two met at the University of Oklahoma. Tate began piano lessons at age eight, and received his B.M. in piano performance from Northwestern University, where he studied with Donald J. Isaak, and his M.M. in piano performance and composition at The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Elizabeth Pastor and Donald Erb. His mother commissioned his first work--a ballet on themes from the Native American nations of the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains--which he composed at age 23 for a 1992 performance by dancers at the University of Wyoming, where his mother served as professor of dance. Following this, with the assistance of his father, he devoted intensive study to the traditional Chickasaw song repertoire, learning from relatives and archival recordings.

His works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and Dale Warland Singers, among many others.

In 1996 he was selected as Composer-in-Residence for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts/National Symphony Orchestra American Residency Program in the state of Wyoming. He has also served as guest composer for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Billings Symphony Orchestra, Ohio State University, Oklahoma University and the University of Colorado.

He holds commissions from the National Symphony Orchestra, Christine Bailey Davis (principal flutist of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), James VanDemark (double bass professor for the Eastman School of Music), the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, Native Earth Performing Arts Society, the Dale Warland Singers, the American Composers Forum, Joyce Foundation and Native American Public Telecommunications/Adanvdo Vision.

His nonagenarian grandmother, Juanita "Little Bird" Tate, gave him the name Taloa' Ikbi, the Chickasaw word for "composer." His middle name, Impichchaachaaha', means "high corncrib" in the Chickasaw language, and is his traditional house name; it is a word symbolizing prosperity. Tate is a member of the American Composers Forum. [1] .

Compositions

• 2007 - Nitoshi' Imali, concerto for guitar and orchestra
• Iholba', solo flute, orchestra, and chorus
• Tracing Mississippi, concerto for flute and orchestra
• Worth of the Soul, symphonic wind ensemble, chorus, and narrator
• Winter Moons, ballet score
• Itti' Bo'li, for chorus and piano
• Elsie, solo timpani, wind ensemble, and percussion
• Iyaaknasha^', double bass and orchestra
• Diva Ojibway, operetta
• Spirit Chief Names the Animal People, orchestra and narrator
• Dream World Blesses Me, woodwinds, percussion, and narrator
• Oktibihah, solo timpani, strings and piano
• Fall 500, flute, cello, and percussion
• Inchokkillissa, guitar and percussion
• Taloa' Hiloha (Thunder Song), solo timpani

Discography

• 2008 - Works by Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate. Includes Tracing Mississippi and Iholba'. Performed by Christine Bailey Davis and Thomas Robertello, flutes, with the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Symphony Chorus, dir. Edwin Outwater. Cleveland, Ohio: Thunderbird Records.

External links

• Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, Composer: Home Page
• NewMusicBox cover: Native Composer: Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, October 17, 2008 (includes video)
• "Member Bio", American Composers Forum
• "The Chickasaw Nation presents Jerod Tate", The Official Site of the Chickasaw Nation
• "Jerod's Biography", The Official Site of the Chickasaw Nation
• "The Nation of Tate", The Official Site of the Chickasaw Nation

Listening

• "American Indian traditions come to classical music", by Karl Gehrke, from Minnesota Public Radio, October 26, 2007
• "American Indian Composers Go Classical", by Felix Contreras, from All Things Considered, January 1, 2009

Video

• Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate video (.wmv file; click to watch)
• Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate videos