Kenneth Pinckney

He was born on March 15, 1936 in Bellingham, WA. Ken grew up in Oakland, pursuing music studies on the cello with Bay Area pedagogue, Margaret Rowell. He later moved to New York City to complete his studies with famed cellist Bernard Greenhouse, at the Manhattan School of Music. Ken married harpist Maria Muribus in 1957. He joined the St. Louis Symphony in 1958 and was a member of the cello section until his retirement in 1995. In 1967 Ken and Maria Pinckney founded Rarely Performed Music, a St. Louis based chamber music group which presented innovative concerts through 1985. In addition to his musical career, Ken was an an avid inventor, holding patents for HarpOn-It, a device for harp transport, and the Nautical Pipe. Kenneth passed away in San Francisco, Callifornia on May 30, 2017 at the age of 81.