Chamber Music Tulsa, which was once called Concertime, has had a long and intresting history. We are over fifty years old. We have presented at least eight concerts of wonderful chamber music in each of these fifty years. It is fun to look back and revisit some of the accomplishments of Concertime and Chamber Music Tulsa. Some of us may remember the Concert which was given in 1957. On a sad note, we lost a wonderful friend of Chamber Music Tulsa. Robert (Bob) Heckman passed away. We will all miss him. A very nice Tribute to Bob Heckman was written by the Chamber Music Tulsa president. Now, let's talk about our history in more detail. Rosalie Talbott, a fresh graduate of Juilliard School of Music in 1948, was looking forward to a possible concert tour in her immediate future. Instead, she decided to come home to Tulsa, determined to add a new dimension to the classical music scene. One of her dreams was to give back to her community and to civic organizations as the Kiwanis Club and Hyechka (music club), which she believed had been instrumental in helping her become an accomplished artist. She first opened a studio and established herself as a teacher. She frequently met with other accomplished musicians to casually play and enjoy the very satisfying musical discipline of chamber music. Then she began to sound out other musicians and music lovers. Her first idea was to establish a world class recital series the likes of which had never be seen in Tulsa. This is how it all began almost forty-five years ago, October 5, 1954. The first concert featured fellow Tulsan Albert Tipton, a flutist and his wife , Mary Norris, pianist, both soloists with the St. Louis Symphony at the time. They were joined on the program by Adrienne Auerswald, soprano, and William McGrath, tenor. The following year four such concerts were presented in the 1955-56 season which included artists Karen Keys and Nadia Reisenberg, pianists; Donald Gramm, bass-baritone and Fredell Lack violinist. Maurice deVinna, Music Critic Emeritus of the Tulsa World, wrote "...As the only series presenting exclusively recitals and chamber music, Concertime has made a definite contribution to the musical diet of the community." Yet, it was not truly what Talbott had envisioned, but a start had been made and Tulsa was definitely interested. The first true chamber music program presented by a world class group was in the 1957-58 season, when the Board chose the Quartetto di Roma, an Italian Group making its first tour of the United States, made possible by a grant from the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation of Washington D.C. From there, having cut its baby teeth, Concertime was on the move and ready for some substantial solid musical food. Further grants made possible such prestigious groups as the Lyric Art, Trio Di Bolzano, and the Lasalle String Quartet. A growing national awareness of chamber music prompted promoters and managers from the east coast to actively pursue the possibility of developing new markets in many mid American areas like Tulsa. Through such fortuitous contacts, Talbott was able to take advantage of this. Two very famous names that soon followed were the Juilliard String Quartet and the Hungarian String Quartet. Fresh from a European tour and a triumphant debut in Paris, Fedell Lack, violin and Albert Hirsh, piano in a Sonata recital were the highlight of the 1963-64 season. Thirty-one years later, with many such wonderful ensembles presented in building a reputation for excellence, there have been both the established and the very young, as the Cleveland, Tokyo, Sequoia, Concord, American and Emerson Quartets as well as the New York Chamber Players, the Arden and Casa Verde Trios. An effort to present the latest Naumburg winners has been a priority. Perhaps the most enduring and endearing association, which could easily be construed as mutual admiration and affection, has been with the Haydn Trio Vienna. They have performed in Tulsa more than any other city in the United States. Their appearance the first weekend in April, 2000 has marked their eighth visit to Tulsa. A wonderful Viennese gala has been associated with their visits for a number of years. In the 1999-2000 there was a new expanded season, two of the six concerts were given by local or regional groups. Each group performed in both a sponsor salon mini concert and one for the public the following day. A wide range of ticket prices offered many opportunities to enjoy hearing some of the world's best artists. The weekend series now offers the real chamber music devotee the mini salon concerts with a light supper afterwards as well as the Sunday concerts. Introducing chamber music to a broader community element has long been a goal of Tulsa Chamber Music. Educational efforts have included master classes, lecture-demonstrations, radio and television interviews, and radio broadcasts of both live performances and taped programs of artists who have appeared here. From the first, the musical fare has been of top quality and painstaking programming.
Chamber Music Tulsa, which was once called Concertime, has had a long and intresting history. We are over fifty years old. We have presented at least eight concerts of wonderful chamber music in each of these fifty years.
It is fun to look back and revisit some of the accomplishments of Concertime and Chamber Music Tulsa. Some of us may remember the Concert which was given in 1957.
On a sad note, we lost a wonderful friend of Chamber Music Tulsa. Robert (Bob) Heckman passed away. We will all miss him. A very nice Tribute to Bob Heckman was written by the Chamber Music Tulsa president.
Now, let's talk about our history in more detail.
Rosalie Talbott, a fresh graduate of Juilliard School of Music in 1948, was looking forward to a possible concert tour in her immediate future. Instead, she decided to come home to Tulsa, determined to add a new dimension to the classical music scene. One of her dreams was to give back to her community and to civic organizations as the Kiwanis Club and Hyechka (music club), which she believed had been instrumental in helping her become an accomplished artist. She first opened a studio and established herself as a teacher. She frequently met with other accomplished musicians to casually play and enjoy the very satisfying musical discipline of chamber music. Then she began to sound out other musicians and music lovers. Her first idea was to establish a world class recital series the likes of which had never be seen in Tulsa. This is how it all began almost forty-five years ago, October 5, 1954. The first concert featured fellow Tulsan Albert Tipton, a flutist and his wife , Mary Norris, pianist, both soloists with the St. Louis Symphony at the time. They were joined on the program by Adrienne Auerswald, soprano, and William McGrath, tenor. The following year four such concerts were presented in the 1955-56 season which included artists Karen Keys and Nadia Reisenberg, pianists; Donald Gramm, bass-baritone and Fredell Lack violinist.
Maurice deVinna, Music Critic Emeritus of the Tulsa World, wrote "...As the only series presenting exclusively recitals and chamber music, Concertime has made a definite contribution to the musical diet of the community."
Yet, it was not truly what Talbott had envisioned, but a start had been made and Tulsa was definitely interested. The first true chamber music program presented by a world class group was in the 1957-58 season, when the Board chose the Quartetto di Roma, an Italian Group making its first tour of the United States, made possible by a grant from the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation of Washington D.C. From there, having cut its baby teeth, Concertime was on the move and ready for some substantial solid musical food. Further grants made possible such prestigious groups as the Lyric Art, Trio Di Bolzano, and the Lasalle String Quartet. A growing national awareness of chamber music prompted promoters and managers from the east coast to actively pursue the possibility of developing new markets in many mid American areas like Tulsa. Through such fortuitous contacts, Talbott was able to take advantage of this. Two very famous names that soon followed were the Juilliard String Quartet and the Hungarian String Quartet.
Fresh from a European tour and a triumphant debut in Paris, Fedell Lack, violin and Albert Hirsh, piano in a Sonata recital were the highlight of the 1963-64 season. Thirty-one years later, with many such wonderful ensembles presented in building a reputation for excellence, there have been both the established and the very young, as the Cleveland, Tokyo, Sequoia, Concord, American and Emerson Quartets as well as the New York Chamber Players, the Arden and Casa Verde Trios. An effort to present the latest Naumburg winners has been a priority. Perhaps the most enduring and endearing association, which could easily be construed as mutual admiration and affection, has been with the Haydn Trio Vienna. They have performed in Tulsa more than any other city in the United States. Their appearance the first weekend in April, 2000 has marked their eighth visit to Tulsa. A wonderful Viennese gala has been associated with their visits for a number of years.
In the 1999-2000 there was a new expanded season, two of the six concerts were given by local or regional groups. Each group performed in both a sponsor salon mini concert and one for the public the following day. A wide range of ticket prices offered many opportunities to enjoy hearing some of the world's best artists.
The weekend series now offers the real chamber music devotee the mini salon concerts with a light supper afterwards as well as the Sunday concerts.
Introducing chamber music to a broader community element has long been a goal of Tulsa Chamber Music. Educational efforts have included master classes, lecture-demonstrations, radio and television interviews, and radio broadcasts of both live performances and taped programs of artists who have appeared here. From the first, the musical fare has been of top quality and painstaking programming.