Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

Jerod Impichch a achaaha’ Tate (, ), born July 25, 1968) is a Chickasaw classical composer and pianist. His compositions are inspired by North American Indian history, culture and ethos. 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. 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. Biography Jerod Impichch a achaaha’ Tate was born in 1968 in Norman, Oklahoma, is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, and is dedicated to the development of American Indian classical composition. His middle name, Impichchaachaaha, means “his high corncrib” and is his inherited traditional Chickasaw house name. 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 the ground on stilts to keep its contents