History

Kinhaven is the legacy and life work of David Dushkin (1898-1986) and Dorothy Smith Dushkin (1903-1992). They met in Paris, where both of them studied composition with Nadia Boulanger. Their backgrounds were very different: Dorothy Dushkin was a graduate of Smith College, while David Dushkin was born in Russian Poland, one of thirteen children. David’s family emigrated to New York when he was a small child (his brother Samuel toured with Stravinsky and premiered the Stravinsky Violin Concerto). Like David Dushkin, Dorothy Dushkin had music in her family. Choral singing was especially important and grew into the Kinhaven tradition of singing madrigals and performing a choral work at the final concert.

David Dushkin remembers:
Starting a music camp limited to summer session was an adventure for us with all sorts of unknowns and no assurance we could make a go of it. We remodeled our old barn and a few studios and living quarters for thirteen children for the first summer of 1952, hoping they would prove the validity of our dream that children of similar musical interests, removed for seven weeks from the compromises and conflicts undermining their gifts, can actually live with music and greatly profit thereby. Using the barn and the main house we launched the camp, which my wife had the inspiration to call Kinhaven...

From the second year onward the camp grew much beyond anything we had anticipated...We accumulated more land and buildings, a larger library and a more expert staff of professional musicians as well as general counselors. Our age level went up by several years and musical competence increased enormously. The outlines of today's Kinhaven emerged.

[probably written 1971]

Photo Below:
Dorothy and David Dushkin with students from the 1966 Season.

Left Front: Diane Raffman, Flute, 1966-67; Back Row (left to right): Dorothy Dushkin, Debbie Freedman, Viola, 1965-66; Elliot Fine, Violin/Viola 1963-68 Becky Kapell, Flute/Piano, 1966-67; Addie Schwartz, Flute, 1966-67 and Chris Cambell, Violin 1966; Right Front: David Dushkin