Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

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Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate (born Jerod Sheffer Tate in Norman, Oklahoma, 1968) is an American 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."[1]

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.

Tate 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.

Tate is the the current Composer-In-Residence for the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy and served in 2004-2005 as Composer-In-Residence for the Grand Canyon Music Festival's Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project.[2]

Tate lives in Longmont, Colorado with his wife, Ursula Running Bear (Sicangu Lakota). 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. [3] .