Siemens, Reynold G. (1932-1996)
Reynold G. Siemens: cellist and English professor; born 6 April 1932 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to George G. Siemens (25 March 1902, Rosenfeld, Manitoba - 7 January 1984, Winkler, Manitoba) and Katharina (Heinrichs) Siemens (8 July 1910, Bergthal, Manitoba - 27 April 1957, Winkler, Manitoba). He married Frances Klassen (b. 16 September 1934, Leamington, Ontario, Canada) on 24 June 1963. Frances was the daughter of Frank J. Klassen (18 December 1894, New York, Ignatyevka Mennonite Settlement, South Russia – 5 December 1963, Leamington, Ontario) and Katharina (Unger) Klassen (15 September 1894, Waldeck, Memrik Mennonite Settlement, South Russia – 9 February 1983, Leamington, Ontario). They had two children, Raymond and George. Reynold Siemens died 26 June 1996 in Hope, British Columbia, Canada.
Reynold graduated from Winkler Collegiate, Winkler, Manitoba, where he played cello in the school orchestra and the Mennonite Symphony Orchestra under Benjamin Horch, and at Sängerfests under K. H. Neufeld. At age 18 he was a member of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Concert Orchestra, played with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and University of Manitoba String Quartet, and appeared in recital in many concerts in southern Manitoba.
From 1952 to 1956 Reynold studied with Leonard Rose at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. While at Curtis he played viola da gamba with the American Society of Ancient Instruments, made a solo appearance at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1956, and appeared in recital in Philadelphia and New York.
Following graduation from Curtis Siemens became principal cellist of the CBC Concert Orchestra in Toronto and first cellist of the Hart House Orchestra, University of Toronto. Reynold made solo appearances on the CBC Distinguished Artists Series and played with the CBC Symphony Orchestra when it made recordings for Columbia Records with Igor Stravinsky conducting. Reynold’s recording with the Boyd Neel Orchestra of London, UK, was released in 1963.
Turning from music to literature, Reynold received his B.A. in 1963 from the University of Manitoba followed by an M.A. in 1964 and Ph.D in English literature in 1966 from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Reynold Siemens became Professor of English Literature at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 1966, where he taught for 25 years. His publications included a book on Wordsworth and writings on women and music.
During their time in Edmonton Reynold and Frances participated in the life of First Mennonite Church in Edmonton. He retired to Kelowna, British Columbia, in 1991, where he lived until his death in 1996.
Bibliography
Siemens, Reynold. Artists and Women. Winnipeg: Hyperion Press, 1979.
Siemens, Reynold. “Bruno Schmidt, An Almost Forgotten Man.” The Mennonite Mirror (October 1972): 6-12.
Siemens, Reynold. One Role of the Woman in the Artist's Development in Certain British Artist-Hero Novels of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries.” PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin, 1966.
Siemens, Reynold. Siemens' Treasury of Religious Verse. Pathway, 1985.
Siemens, Reynold. “When Music and Sweet Poetry Agree: Thomas Ford's 'Since First I Saw Your Face.'” Renaissance Quarterly 21 (Summer 1968): 153-61.
Siemens, Reynold. The Wordsworth Collection; a Catalogue, Dove Cottage Papers facsimiles of the University of Alberta. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 1971.
| Author(s) | Wesley Berg |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2012 |
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MLA style
Berg, Wesley. "Siemens, Reynold G. (1932-1996)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2012. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Siemens,_Reynold_G._(1932-1996)&oldid=96416.
APA style
Berg, Wesley. (January 2012). Siemens, Reynold G. (1932-1996). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Siemens,_Reynold_G._(1932-1996)&oldid=96416.
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