Tulsa Symphony Orchestra Moves to Tulsa Union Depot

Tulsa World Article

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra moves into new home at Union Depot

It's almost 40 years since Tulsa's Union Depot has moved to the rhythm of the rails. But these days, the Art Deco showplace at 3 S. Boston Ave. is starting to move to a more musical beat.

Frank S. Letcher, president of Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, works in his office while still unpacking boxes at their new location at Tulsa’s Union Depot downtown.












The building is being renovated to become the new home of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, and its chief executive officer, Chuck Cissel, has already set up his office here.

Beginning this week, the depot also will be home to the offices of the recently formed Tulsa Symphony Orchestra.

"This is a huge step forward for us," said TSO Director Tim McFadden.

The Tulsa Symphony Orchestra was created in December through the work of retired surgeon Frank Letcher. Letcher came up with the idea of a full-time professional orchestra in which the musicians would be involved in all aspects of the operation, from making the music to raising the money.

Until June 26, the orchestra had operated out of Letcher's old medical offices in the Hillcrest South Physicians Building at 11th Street and Utica Avenue.

The orchestra now has about 3,000 square feet of office space on the first floor of the
Union Depot.

McFadden said the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame "has been very generous in helping us. We had talked with Chuck Cissel in February, and fell in love with the space. We've got a lot of room to grow, and we're just a block away from the Performing Arts Center."

McFadden said the orchestra's staff consists of himself, Letcher, an office manager and five "executive musicians" -- three working full-time, two part-time. Executive musicians is the designation the orchestra uses to describe the players who also serve in administrative functions with the orchestra.

"Right now our primary focus is on fundraising and grant-writing," McFadden said.

Tulsa Symphony Orchestra has performed for Tulsa Ballet -- the February performances of "The Sleeping Beauty" and the gala honoring ballerina Daniela Buson -- as well as the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and Light Opera Oklahoma.

TSO musicians also made up a large part of the Tulsa Opera Orchestra for that company's productions of "Ariadne auf Naxos" and "The Marriage of Figaro" last season.

The orchestra plans to announce its first concert season in the next couple of weeks, as soon as negotiations with guest artists and conductors are completed.

McFadden said the season will have five concerts presented at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, in addition to the orchestra's work with Tulsa Ballet and the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, and having its musicians be a part of the Tulsa Opera Orchestra.

"We are in the black as of this fiscal year, which ended June 30," McFadden said. "We've proven that we can generate funds, that we can work with groups like Tulsa Ballet and the Oratorio Chorus.

"But we still have a lot to prove to this community," he said. "That's due in part to the fact that what we have is such a unique model for a symphony orchestra. It's going to take time for us to prove that this organization can work. And when we make it through this coming season -- well, that will go a long way to proving that point."

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James D. Watts Jr. 581-8478
james.watts @tulsaworld.com