Description
Felix Khuner was a leading violinist and music instructor at UC Berkeley. Born and raised in Vienna, he was trained in the Vienna Academy and joined the celebrated Kolisch String Quartet at age 19. In 1938, Khuner fled Vienna to Northern California and joined the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, where he would stay for 41 years. He also played in the San Francisco Opera and in the San Francisco Ballet for 31 years. In the 1970s, Khunar was an instructor in the Music Department at UC Berkeley and also taught privately in his home. In this interview, he discusses his musical training in Vienna, fleeing from the Nazis and resettling in the U.S., San Francisco Opera and Symphony orchestras, and recollections of conductors and performers.