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Less than two weeks before doors were set to open, the Washington Conservatory of Music's new location at Glen Echo Park didn't look anywhere close to completed. Insulation puffed out from the walls, a drill sounded off upstairs and bits of debris littered the bare concrete floor. But Executive Director Kathy Judd was confident everything would be ready for a July 11 grand opening.

"The flooring goes in the same day as the walls," she said with a smile.

The flooring wasn't a problem, but other construction delays pushed the opening to this Saturday. Despite the road block, Judd remains upbeat.

"We won't remember it in a month," she says in the wake of the rescheduling. "We're just doing it a few weeks later."

Maybe her attitude has stayed positive because the 1,800-square-foot space offers so much to the conservatory's 500 students. On the second floor, meeting rooms will help the staff plan events. On the ground floor, five classrooms feature collapsible walls that come together to create an ideal musical atmosphere.

"This provides us with an intimate space," Judd explains. "We've had a space with 400 or 500 seats, but we've never had a space that was so intimate that you're sitting there and you feel like you're connected to the performer."

Since Adventure Theatre opened its doors in 1971, the once dilapidated Glen Echo Park has become a haven for the arts in Montgomery County. From puppet shows to photography classes, the former amusement park has it covered. But until now, there hasn't been an in-house music program. That will change on Saturday. Located along the South Arcade, the branch will offer private lessons, camps and ensemble workshops. The conservatory will continue to operate out of its Bethesda offices, but Judd hopes to make Glen Echo the main hub soon.

"It brings even closer to our mission," Judd says of the new location. "This mission is to teach all ages and all levels without audition, with the most outstanding faculty we can find."

But before that happens, the conservatory will kick things off with a grand opening. Headlining the event is pianist Michael Adcock, who has played for audiences as far away as Australia and at famed domestic venues like Carnegie Hall. He has won numerous awards, including two prizes at the 1996 Washington International Competition. With eight years of conservatory experience to his credit, Adcock is excited about breaking in the new space.

"You hope that you set things in motion and that the sounds of the music make the place come alive," the District resident says. "It's a real treat."

With a unique venue comes a unique program. Pushing aside the expected, Adcock plans on presenting the works of Spanish composers Granados, Albeniz and de Falla.

"I thought it would be fun for an intergenerational group of people," he explains. "It seems more like summertime fare than Bach or Beethoven. I love this music and play it a lot."

In addition to Adcock's performance, music lovers will be able to watch demonstrations by several of the conservatory's faculty members. Percussionist Howard Kadison looks forward to showing off a thing or two about the drums. For more than four decades, the 71-year-old played with performers like Barbra Streisand, Carmen McRae and Zoot Sims. He started teaching at the conservatory 10 years ago.

"It gives me a great pleasure to see somebody develop," he says. "The conservatory has an environment that really feels right for a teacher. I've had some students that have really made me feel good about the process. The first time I had kids doing a recital, I was hooked."

On Saturday, Kadison hopes to communicate the true function of a drummer.

"The biggest problem is understanding the value of being an accompanist," he says. "There's a real disconnect between a big, loud, shiny set of drums and helping someone feel comfortable by staying in the background and giving them support."

The interior of the new building is almost a piece of art itself. When approaching the project, Judd aimed to meet form and function with cutting edge acoustics and oversized wall paintings.

"The idea was to find some sort of a design that was compatible with the space — something that would feel friendly for children, but sophisticated for concerts for adults," she explains. "That's when we came up with the idea of the huge treble clef and bass clef graphic."

Keeping with the times, most of the facility contains eco-friendly materials, including floors made of refurbished tires.

"It's the right thing to do these days, as much as possible," Judd says. "As far as the recycled tires on the floor, we liked that it was durable, we liked that it was recyclable and we liked what it did acoustically. So it worked for us on all levels."

Although the National Park Service owns the property, the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture (GEPPAC) operates the buildings and performance spaces. Executive Director Katey Boerner believes the conservatory's migration fills a void in the organization.

"One of the things coming through on our surveys and comments from the public is that they'd like to see more free music performances," she says. "Now we have a resident partner that could help us produce some of that."

Previously, the GEPPAC had to look beyond MacArthur Boulevard for musicians. With dances, visual arts exhibitions and theater, there are opportunities for synergy.

"We are hoping to do collaborative things with the other artists," Judd says. "I've already had a couple of talks with the other organizations. First, we get the walls up."

The Washington Music Conservatory's grand opening takes place Saturday at Glen Echo Park's South Arcade, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. The open house and musical instrument demonstration begins at 1 p.m. followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:30. Pianist Michael Adcock will perform at 3. A reception will follow. Admission is free. Call 301-320-2770 or visit www.

washingtonconservatory.org.