Ruth Budd

Background

Ruth Budd was born in Winnipeg and was educated at the British Columbia School of Pharmacy and Science, at the Toronto Conservatory of Music and at the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto.

Career

She became Canada"s first professional female bassist when she joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1947. She played violin at school level Budd played double bass with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 1944 to 1946.

She joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1947, becoming Canada"s first professional female bassist.

Symphony Six

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 United States orchestras from Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. In keeping with United States immigration laws, the orchestra submitted its list of members for clearance.

Seven musicians were not given clearance. This was later pared down to six: Budd, Dirk Keetbaas, William Kuinka, Abe Mannheim, John Moskalyk, and Steven Staryk (later known as the Symphony Six), who were denied access to the United States under suspicion of leftist activities.

At the end of the season the orchestra did not renew its contracts with these musicians.

This created a controversy in Canada. Later career

After her contract was not renewed in 1952, Budd went on to play with the Halifax Symphony Orchestra, the Hart House Orchestra, the Canadian Broadcasting Company Symphony Orchestra, and the orchestras of the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada, and the Stratford Festival. In 1993 Budd founded the Toronto Senior Strings.

She was also the founding chairperson of the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians.

Achievements

• Budd received the Young Women’s Christian Association Women of Distinction Award for Arts in 1983.

Politics

The performers had associated openly with communist or communist front organizations in the vein of artistic collaboration, but denied the charges of political involvement. Budd later said in an interview that she had been a member of a left-wing youth group.

Membership

She was also known as a member of the Symphony Six, a group of six musicians under contract to the Toronto orchestra who were denied entry to the United States for a concert tour under suspicion of leftist activities. In 1964 she was rehired by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and performed as a double bassist until 1989, becoming "one of the most beloved members of the orchestra".