A high pressure discharge lamp ballast performs driving with a synthesized current waveform comprising a combination of first and second sets of current waveforms. The ballast controls content rates of each of the sets per unit time; detects a rotation synchronization signal for a color wheel; applies a synthesized current waveform in accordance with the synchronization signal and the content rates to a high pressure discharge lamp; and detects a lamp voltage. A period of each of the first and second sets equals to one rotation of the color wheel. The number of inversions of the second set is larger than that of the first set. The content rate of the second set is set to RL% when the lamp voltage exceeds a value V, and the content rate of the second set is set to RH% when lamp voltage falls below a value V′.