William Kuinka

William Kuinka (January 28, 1916 – April 7, 2008)[1] was a Canadian mandolinist, bassist, guitarist, and educator.[2] During his 1951-1952 season with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, he became known as a member of the Symphony Six, a group of six musicians under contract to the orchestra who were denied entry to the United States for a concert tour under suspicion of leftist activities.

William Kuinka
Born(1916-01-28)January 28, 1916
Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
DiedApril 7, 2008(2008-04-07) (aged 92)
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
Alma materThe Royal Conservatory of Music; Advanced School of Contemporary Music
OccupationMandolinist, bassist, guitarist, educator
Known forMember of the Symphony Six

Early life and career

William Kuinka was born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.[2] He served in World War II and was part of an army show unit.[2] After the war, he studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto with Charles Rose, John Weinzweig, John Moskalyk, and others; at the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto, and in New York City.[2] Kuinka played double bass with the CBC Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Pro Arte Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Self-taught in mandolin and guitar, he played mandolin with the Ivan Romanoff orchestra.[2]

Symphony Six
Main article: Symphony Six

Kuinka played only one season (1951–1952) with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.[3] In November 1951 the Toronto Symphony Orchestra was invited to participate in the "Major Symphony Series" in Detroit, its first appearance in the United States, alongside major US orchestras from Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. In keeping with US immigration laws, the orchestra submitted its list of members for clearance. Seven musicians were not given clearance; this was later pared down to six: Kuinka, Dirk Keetbaas, Abe Mannheim, John Moskalyk, Ruth Budd, and Steven Staryk (later known as the Symphony Six), who were denied access to the United States under suspicion of leftist activities.[4][5] The performers had associated openly with communist or communist front organizations in the vein of artistic collaboration, but denied the charges of political involvement.[6] At the end of the season the orchestra did not renew its contracts with these musicians. This created a controversy in Canada.[3][5][7]

Later career

Kuinka performed with the Toronto Renaissance Quintet from 1963 to 1965. In 1964 he founded the Toronto Mandolin Chamber Ensemble, which existed until 1969.[2] He also performed with the orchestra of the National Ballet of Canada.[1]

Kuinka taught classical guitar at the Brodie School of Music in Toronto from 1965 to 1979 and mandolin at Wilfrid Laurier University from 1980 to 1981.[2] He taught stringed instruments for the Etobicoke Board of Education from 1969 to 1989. He performed with Nexus[2] and with Oscar Peterson.[1]

Personal

He married Rose Kramaruk around 1942.[1]

His daughter Valerie has performed with the orchestras of the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company. She married the tenor Richard Margison.[2]

Kuinka died at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto at the age of 92.[1]

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References
  1. "William Kuinka". Toronto Star. April 12, 2008.
  2. Hale, Marjorie. "Kuinka, William". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014.
  3. Warren, Richard S. (2002). Begins with the Oboe: A History of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. University of Toronto Press. p. 240. ISBN 0802035884.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. Warren (2002), pp. 51-53.
  5. John Robert Colombo (2001). 1000 Questions About Canada: Places, People, Things and Ideas, A Question-and-Answer Book on Canadian Facts and Culture. Dundurn. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-4597-1820-3.
  6. Pitman, Walter (2006). Music Makers: The Lives of Harry Freedman and Mary Morrison. Dundam. pp. 85–86. ISBN 1550029304.
  7. Ford, Clifford; King, Betty Nygaard. "Toronto Symphony Orchestra". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
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