William F. Hanson

William Frederick Hanson (October 23, 1887 – June 22, 1969) was an American composer and music teacher who served as professor of music at Brigham Young University who specialized in Native American music. He studied, composed, and taught music. He is most well known for working with Zitkala-Sa on The Sun Dance Opera, an opera based on the sacred ritual of the Lakota Sun Dance. Biography Hanson was born in Vernal, Utah. He grew up in Utah near the Sioux and the Utes of the White Rocks and Fort Duchesne, with whom he became friends. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Brigham Young University (BYU) and then attended the Chicago Music College and Columbia University. He returned to Provo to teach at BYU in 1924 and was on the faculty for thirty-three years. Later, he was an instructor of music at Uintah academy. He lived with the Utes on the Uintah reservation and he would attend their religious festivities. Hanson’s main passions in life were music and learning about Native American cultures. His Native American friends gave him the name Ampa-O-Luta, meaning “the first tint of red in the east at dawn.” His master’s thesis is called The Lure of Tam-Man Nacup Springtime F