History

Beginings
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). Dorothy Dushkin, like David, had music in her family. Choral singing was especially important.

Founding
In 1948, the Dushkins purchased property in Weston, Vermont, and in the summer of 1952 they opened Kinhaven Music School with 19 students. David Dushkin, the Director, emphasized chamber music and Dorothy Dushkin encouraged singing and began the tradition of closing the summer session with group singing--usually a Bach cantata. From the beginning, Kinhaven's central purpose has been the sharing of music through chamber music and singing.

Growth
Kinhaven grew in the 1950s and 1960s. Its core program, called Senior Session today, was its only summer session, and it eventually served 90 student musicians. Jerry Bidlack arrived as conductor in 1967 and became Kinhaven's Executive Director in 1981. Nancy Bidlack, who had served on the faculty since 1970, was named Director of Admissions. The program thrived, but after 1988, the Bidlacks assessed the marketplace and made a strategic change in the length of Senior Session, shortening it from seven to six weeks. This also allowed Nancy to realize her dream program, a two-week session for middle school musicians, which commenced in 1990. She was named Director of Junior Session, and the program flourished.

Becoming a Non-Profit Institution
In 1961 Kinhaven became a 501(c)3, non-profit instiution. Also in the 1960s, a board of trustees composed of alumni, parents of students, and friends of Kinhaven was established. In the 1980s the Board raised the funds to purchase Kinhaven and its property from the Duskin family.

Further Growth
In the early 1990s, Mary Watt, a long-time Senior Session faculty member, established the Chamber Music Workshop while Leander Bien, also a long-time faculty member, founded the Piano Workshop. Both programs, designed for college-age and adult musicians, employed the theme of Kinhaven's core mission--to present musicians with an opportunity to focus on high level music making in a supportive and nurturing environment.

Today
In 2004, Jerry Bidlack retired as Director of Senior Session, and Nancy Bidlack became the director of both Junior and Senior Sessions. 2010 marked Nancy's final year as Director of both sessions, and the Board of Trustees chose long-time faculty members Deborah Buck and Anthony Mazzocchi to serve as Executive Directors of Kinhaven Music School, Inc., and to lead Senior Session. They charged Sandy Dennis and Marty Knieriem with directing Junior Session.

David Dushkin remembers [Written circa 1971]:
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.

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