Marc Ballard is a saxophonist and educator in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Xavier University of Louisiana, teaching woodwinds and Music History. Ballard attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, AR where he received a Bachelor of Music degree, and earned both a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Southern Mississippi where he studied with world-renowned saxophonist Lawrence Gwozdz.

Known for being a highly versatile saxophonist, Ballard has appeared in concert with trumpeter Allen Vizzutti, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members The Drifters, Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters, and Schoolhouse Rock composer Bob Dorough. He has also performed with The Sinfonia Gulf Coast, The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, The Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, the Arkansas All-Star Big Band, the Young at Heart Big Band, and the Texarkana Jazz Orchestra. Ballard has been featured as a soloist with band and orchestra, performing works by Jacques Ibert, Maurice Whitney, Stephen Dankner, Erland von Koch, and Michael Young. He frequently performs recitals around the country as both a soloist and member of the ensemble Fujin, and has performed at various music conferences, including the World Saxophone Congress, the Mid-South Flute Festival, and the U.S. Navy International Saxophone Symposium.

Ballard has become an in-demand saxophonist around the New Orleans area. Regularly performing and recording with several bands around the city, he has appeared numerous times at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and is a past winner of the New Orleans Blues Challenge.