In October 1904, when Tulsa, then called “Tulsey Town”, had a population of less than 3500, the Hyechka Club of Tulsa was created by ten musically trained women with the mission of promoting the musical arts and of self-improvement. Pronounced Hi-eech-ka, the Creek Indian word for music (all of Tulsa south of Admiral Blvd. is in the Creek Indian Nation) the club has endured, first by holding music festivals with a combination of local and national individuals and groups, advancing to presenting national groups, including the New York Symphony Orchestra, Scotti Grand Opera, La Scala Orchestra and the Chicago Civic Opera.
Hyechka was the leader in raising the funds to build Tulsa’s first large capacity performing arts center, Convention Hall (now known as the Brady Theatre) which for 60 years provided the venue for Tulsa’s Philharmonic, Ballet and Opera, and many traveling Broadway Shows. Hyechka is now the oldest and largest music club in Oklahoma.
The purpose of Hyechka is to advance and promote music in Tulsa and to provide opportunities for its performing members to share their musical skills by performing on its free and open to the public meetings, the first and third Wednesdays from October through May; the organization's substantial performing members present a number of programs each year, all free and open to the public.
Hyechka also has a tradition of presenting artists of international renown as cultural gifts to the city. It is also credited with making music education a regular part of the Tulsa Public Schools curriculum in its early years and continues to support music in the schools through its very active Civic Committee. More than $26,000 in high school and collegiate scholarships are offered each year through Hyechka's Scholarship Program.
Music at the Mansion strikes a chord with performances at the Tulsa Historical Society
The Hyechka Club Tulsa - History (publised by the Oklahoma Historical Society)
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