Jerod Tate

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate (Chickasaw, born in Norman, Oklahoma, on July 25, 1968) is a Chickasaw classical composer and pianist. His compositions are inspired by American Indian history and culture.

He has had several commissioned works, which have been performed by major orchestras in Washington, DC; San Francisco, Detroit, and Minneapolis, among others. When the San Francisco Symphony Chorus performed and recorded his work Iholba' in 2008, it was the first time the chorus had sung any work in Chickasaw or any American Indian language.

Tate has also worked to develop younger musicians and composers. He is founder and artistic director of the Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival. He was Co-Founder and Composition Instructor for the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy. He has served as composer-in-residence. Since 2011 he has been an adjunct instructor on the music faculty of Oklahoma City University.

Jerod Sheffer Impichchaachaaha' Tate was born in 1968 in Norman, Oklahoma, and is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. With both parents involved in music, theatre and dance, he grew up immersed in classical music. His Chickasaw father, Charles Tate, is a classically trained pianist and baritone, who played at home as well as in professional performance. Through his paternal grandmother, Jerod Tate is part of the Shawi clan. His mother, Dr. Patricia Tate, is of Manx Irish descent. She was a professor of dance and a choreographer. His parents recognized and nurtured Jerod's musical talent. His parents were influential in encouraging his work in music, and by accompanying his father to tribal events, Jerod heard much American Indian music among the peoples of Oklahoma.

His Chickasaw middle name, Impichchaachaaha’, means “high corncrib.” It is his inherited traditional Chickasaw house name, traditionally used in a manner similar to a European-American surname. A corncrib is a small hut used for the storage of corn and other vegetables. In traditional Chickasaw culture, the corncrib was built high off of the ground on stilts to keep its contents safe from foraging animals.

Tate received his BM in Piano Performance from Northwestern University, where he studied with Dr. Donald J. Isaak. He received his MM in Piano Performance and Composition from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Elizabeth Pastor and Dr. Donald Erb.

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