Construction Changes Store Room To Concert Hall In Bartlesville

Thirty years ago the city of Bartlesville started something really special, the OK Mozart International Festival.

For years they've been looking for a small venue that would keep the music going year-round, but the space they needed was there all along.

"This is what it's gonna look like when it's done. You can see the acoustic treatment here. You can see the acoustic treatment here," said Executive Director Randy Thompson.

The OK Mozart International Festival begins this weekend in Bartlesville, it's the 30th anniversary. While they're ready for the festival, they are also getting ready for something in a few months.

What may look like a big empty room with an echo is in the process of being transformed. An acoustical engineer has created a design that is both attractive and functional.

"That makes the sound go in different places so there's never a way that it comes back on itself," Thompson said.

It'll take the echo out and give OK Mozart a multi-purpose venue.

"We can have receptions in here, conferences and parties," said Thompson.

More than that, a place for small concerts and recitals; probably hold up to 100 people.

They'd looked all over town for a room like that, turns out it was right across the hall all the time; it was the festival store room

They converted another room for storage, wrote a grant for some funds, and soon they'll have what they're looking for.

"The architect right now is finishing up the plans," Thompson said. "When he's done we'll be under construction."

The OK Mozart International Festival begins on Saturday and runs through the 14th at various locations around Bartlesville.