Dirk Keetbaas
| Dirk Keetbaas, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 20, 1921 Scheveningen, Netherlands |
| Died | July 27, 1995 (aged 74) Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | flautist, composer, and record producer |
| Known for | Member of the Symphony Six |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Persoage |
Dirk Keetbaas, Jr. (June 20, 1921 – July 27, 1995) was a Dutch-born flautist, composer, and record producer in Canada. He became known as a member of the Symphony Six, a group of six musicians under contract to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra who were denied entry to the United States for a concert tour under suspicion of leftist activities.
Dirk Keetbaas, Jr. was born in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, to Dirk Keetbaas, Sr. (1895-1988), who later became a violist and conductor in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
From 1940 to 1945 Keetbaas played with the Central Band of the Royal Canadian Air Force in Ottawa. From 1946 to 1953, he performed in various chamber groups in Toronto, as well as played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the CBC Symphony Orchestra.
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: Keetbaas, William Kuinka, 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. The performers had associated openly with communist or communist front organizations in the vein of artistic collaboration, but denied the charges of political involvement. At the end of the season the orchestra did not renew its contracts with these musicians. This created a controversy in Canada.
Keetbaas went on to become the principal flautist for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the CBC Winnipeg Orchestra from 1953 to 1968. From 1956 to 1966 he directed and performed with the Dirk Keetbaas Players, a wind quintet featuring flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn.
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