William Kuinka
William Kuinka (January 28, 1916 – April 7, 2008) was a Canadian musician and educator who played mandolin, bass, and guitar. Born in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, he served in World War II in an army show unit. After the war, he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the Advanced School of Contemporary Music, and in New York City.
Kuinka played double bass with several orchestras, including the CBC Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Pro Arte Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. He taught himself mandolin and guitar and played mandolin with the Ivan Romanoff orchestra. He spent one season (1951–1952) with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 1951 the TSO was invited to Detroit for a U.S. tour, but six musicians were denied entry due to suspected leftist ties. Kuinka, along with five others (the Symphony Six), denied accusations of political involvement; the season ended with their contracts not renewed, a controversial move in Canada.
In the 1960s Kuinka performed with the Toronto Renaissance Quintet and founded the Toronto Mandolin Chamber Ensemble (1964–1969). He also played with the National Ballet of Canada orchestra. As a teacher, he instructed classical guitar at the Brodie School of Music (1965–1979), mandolin at Wilfrid Laurier University (1980–1981), and stringed instruments for the Etobicoke Board of Education (1969–1989). He performed with Nexus and with Oscar Peterson.
Kuinka married Rose Kramaruk around 1942. His daughter Valerie Kuinka performed with the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company and married tenor Richard Margison.
William Kuinka died at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, at age 92.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:18 (CET).