French music printer. With his cousin, Adrien Le Roy, he founded the printing establishment of Le Roy & Ballard. King Henri II granted them a privilege to print music on Aug. 14, 1551. They were named music printers to the king on Feb. 16, 1553, a distinction the firm retained until the middle of the 18th century. Following BallardŐs death, printing ceased until Le Roy was joined by BallardŐs widow, Lucrèce, a partner in 1591. At his death in 1598, the childless widower Le Roy bequeathed his share of the firm to Lucrèce and the Ballard heirs. Lucrèce was then joined by her son, Pierre Ballard. During the second half of the 16th century, the firm maintained almost total monopoly of music printing in France. The firm printed some 3, 000 works, many in elegant editions.