Esther Ballou

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.

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.

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 describes her music as ‘tending towards classicism in that it stresses clarity of design and directness of expression’.

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. Dance Suite, 1936-1937

She published a textbook: Creative Explorations of Musical Elements (1971)