Wafia Farag Kinne

Wafia Kinne, a pianist and flutist, taught as an adjunct professor of music in piano at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, in the first decade of 2002. She also maintained a private piano studio for students of all ages; oversaw the music program in the Seventh-day Adventist church where her husband Jeffry was pastor; and served as an accompanist in a Lutheran Church.  They now reside in College Place, Washington, where she is an adjunct teacher in piano at Walla Walla University and he is pastor in the College View SDA Church.

Kinne was born in Cairo, Egypt, the daughter of Dola Hasso and Wadie Farag. While she was very young, her parents moved to Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, where she spent her childhood. She began study on piano with her mother, an amateur pianist, at age seven and started study on the flute in the sixth grade. She attended Gem State Academy, graduating in 1976.

She enrolled at Walla Walla College, now University, where she completed a B.Mus. in music education, cum laude, in 1981. During her time at the college, Wafia served as principal flutist in both the concert band and wind ensemble. She was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, national music honor society, in her senior year.

She married Jeffrey Dean Kinne, a theology student, in the summer following graduation. They both completed degrees at Andrews University with Wafia completing an M.Mus. in music education in 1983 and Jeffrey an M.Div. in 1984.

They have three children, all of whom are active as musicians. Evan graduated from WWU in 2009, Nolan is presently a music/pre-medicine major at WWU, and Elise is a pianist.

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Sources: Information provided by Wafia Kinne, September 2010; Personal Knowledge.