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PrintMusic at the Mansion strikes a chord with performances at the Tulsa Historical Society
Tulsa has a rich music history.
One of the people at the foundation of that history is Jane Heard Clinton, a founding member of the Hyechka Club, Tulsa’s 100-plus-year-old music organization whose name means “music” in Creek. When the Tulsa Historical Society and the Hyechka Club debuted the newly restored Steinway Grand piano once owned by Clinton in 2004, longtime Hyechka member Jo Ann Berry wanted to continue great performances in Tulsa using a piece of history that forged the city’s musical past.
As a result, Berry looked to fellow Hyechka member Frankie James and the Tulsa Historical Society to create Music at the Mansion, a monthly musical program held every third Thursday aimed at bringing music, especially classical music, to Tulsa audiences.
“I thought this is so good for Hyechka, this is so good for the mansion (and) it’s really wonderful for Tulsa,” James says.
While the majority of the performances are of the classical genre, theatrical music and other genres have sneaked in as well.
“I feel like one thing we don’t do in the United States (is) we don’t humanize our classical music,” James says. “This — I don’t want to say it lowers classical music; it doesn’t — makes it accessible.”
Now in its second year, Music at the Mansion has seen a variety of musical performances and audience types. James says that during these events, the audience can sit close to the performers, allowing young and old the chance to truly see the musicians playing their instruments.
January’s classical music performance will feature Barron Ryan, a recent University of Oklahoma graduate who has played piano and classical music for more than 18 years.
Barron Ryan will perform for January’s installment of Music at the Mansion at 1:30 p.m., Jan. 21, at the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S. Peoria Ave. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call 712-9484.
