<p>John (Jacob) Weinzweig, OC OOnt (March 11, 1913 – August 24, 2006) was a Canadian composer of classical music.
Born in Toronto, Weinzweig went to Harbord Collegiate Institute, and studied music at the university. In 1937, he left for the United States to study under Bernard Rogers. During the Second World War, he began composing film music, and in 1952 he became a professor at his old university in Toronto. In the previous year he had co-founded the Canadian League of Composers, and he was actively involved in several other organisations representing musicians and composers.
In 1974, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1988, he was awarded the Order of Ontario.
John Jacob Weinzweig was the eldest child of Joseph and Rose (Burstyn) Weinzweig, Polish-Jewish immigrants. His younger siblings were named Morris and Grace Weinzweig. In Russian-occupied Poland, his father was temporarily imprisoned for participating in radical union movements, and the family moved to Canada shortly after.
His first music lessons were at Workman’s Circle Peretz School at the age of 14, where he participated in mandolin classes. He went on to attend Harbord Collegiate Institute, a secondary</p>