Bartlesville’s OK MOZART International Festival celebrates its 23rd season

Bartlesville’s OK MOZART International Festival celebrates its 23rd season, June 8-16, with more than 180 events that encompass all aspects of music and the fine arts.Festival officials say this year’s event will feature “a superb resident orchestra and chamber music ensemble from New York, world renowned guest conductors, major concert and recording artists in addition to an award-winning dance company.”




The 2007 OK MOZART International Festival will also celebrate Oklahoma’s Centennial with talent from across the globe.“I am thrilled to be a part of such a well-known organization,” said Scott Black, interim executive director for the festival. “The reputation and support for OK MOZART on a statewide and international level is truly amazing.”Over the past 22 years OK MOZART has grown from a three day concert series into a nine day event that embraces all styles of music ranging from Baroque to contemporary. The festival also includes food events, children’s activities, art galleries, dance and theatre performances.“At OK MOZART there is definitely something for everyone,” said Black “We describe the festival as Mozart, and a whole lot more!”

This year’s festival will commence on June 8 with the Opening Celebration outside the Bartlesville Community Center with free entertainment, food vendors and fireworks for an evening of family fun.On June 9, spend “A Night with Jimmy Webb” as the multiple Grammy Award winner and composer of Oklahoma’s Centennial Anthem, “Oklahoma Rising” sings his many hits that include “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”, “Galveston”, “MacArthur Park” and more.June 10 will feature a piano recital by Jiyoung Chung, winner of the 2006 OK MOZART/ Oklahoma Israel Exchange Young Artists Piano Competition, having recently returned from her international performance tour of Israel.On June 11, PHILADANCO!, Philadelphia’s dance company, takes the stage to commemorate the Centennial of the Osage Nation as it coincides with Oklahoma’s Centennial.OK MOZART welcomes back members from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The McDermott Trio and Leon Fleisher for an evening of chamber music at its best on June 12. Anne Marie McDermott, an audience favorite from previous years, makes a return engagement as pianist for the McDermott Trio.June 13 features the OK MOZART Resident Orchestra, Amici New York, joined by Oklahoma-born Grammy Award winning Sony recording artist, Edgar Meyer. JoAnn Falletta, Music Director for the Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony, makes a return engagement to OK MOZART as guest conductor for Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony” and Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite.”Oklahoma native Mason Williams will get your engines going with his world-famous “Classical Gas” and many other hits on June 14. Mason will be joined by champion fiddle player Byron Berline and his band.Amici New York, OK MOZART’s Resident Orchestra, plays under the stars at Woolaroc Ranch and Wildlife Preserve on June 15. Joel Levine, Music Director of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic makes a return to OK MOZART as Guest Conductor.The Grand Finale Concert on June 16 brings the festival to a close with a concert featuring works by Mozart and more. Leon Fleisher appears as Guest Artist and Conductor with Amici New York, OK MOZART’s Resident Orchestra.In addition to the evening concerts, the festival also features its annual Chamber Music Series as well as a number of Showcase events. For more, see Community page C1.Named for the 18th Century Austrian composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, The OK MOZART Festival has been recognized as Oklahoma’s premier music festival because of its distinguished reputation throughout the state and across the country. Most recently, OK MOZART was the recipient of the 2006 Redbud Award for Outstanding Event in Oklahoma by the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.OK MOZART online ticket sales will be handled through www.myticketoffice.com. The Web site was unveiled last spring as a partnership between the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and Tickets.com to provide a centralized location for the online purchase of tickets throughout the state of Oklahoma.General ticket sales start Feb. 14 at the OK Mozart Box Office.For more information and a free copy of the 2007 OK MOZART Festival brochure, call OK MOZART at (918) 336-9800, or visit the OK MOZART Web site at www.okmozart.com.