Donald Leslie Grant Hazelwood AO

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(1 March 1930 – 8 March 2025) was an Australian violinist and concertmaster.

Background

His first wife Anne Menzies was a clarinetist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 26 years until 1994. Their daughter Jane Hazelwood is a violist. Their son-in-law was the violinist Carl Pini. After Anne Menzies' death, Donald remarried in 2000 to Helen Phillips. He played a Giovanni Baptista Grancino violin made in 1716.Donald Hazelwood
,

Muswellbrook Shire Muswellbrook Shire is a local government area in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is situated adjacent to the New England Highway and the Hunter railway line. Muswellbrook Shire was established on 1 July 1979 f ...

Council. Hazelwood died in Sydney on 8 March 2025, at the age of 95.

Career

Donald Hazelwood first played with the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. ...

in 1952, as a second violinist under Eugene Goossens. In 1965, he was appointed co-concertmaster with Robert Miller, later becoming concertmaster, a position he held for 33 years until his retirement in 1998. From 1988 to 1989, Hazelwood was artistic director of the National Ensemble at the

Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM) — formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music, and known by the moniker "The Con" — is the music school of the University of Sydney. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious music ...

. From 1989 to 1991, and in 1996, he was Director of the Australian Youth Orchestr
National Music Camp
He was a life member of

Australian Youth Orchestra The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO), formerly Youth Music Australia, is a training organisation for young musicians. It originitated in the Summer camp, music camps founded by John Bishop (academic), John Bishop and Ruth Alexander in 1948. AYO ...

. In 1997, Hazelwood had a tribute concert at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

, where he performed Dvorak's ''Romance in F minor'' with the Sydney Symphony. In 1998, he retired as concertmaster after 33 years with the Orchestra.

Works

Individuals

* Flautist

James Galway Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". After several years working as an orchestral musician, he established an international career as a solo flute pl ...

(Bach's

Brandenburg concertos The ''Brandenburg Concertos'' ( BWV 1046–1051) by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721 (though probably composed earlier). The origi ...

Nos. 4 & 5 in 1990)

Groups

Spokane Symphony Orchestra

Donald Hazelwood represented Australia at the 1974 Expo in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

by performing

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

's Violin Concerto in D with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra.

World Philharmonic Orchestra

Donald Hazelwood was one of two Australian musicians chosen to participate in the performance of the World Philharmonic Orchestra in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

in 1985.

Austral String Quartet

Hazelwood was leader of the Austral String Quartet and made two world tours with the group. Kendall National Violin Competition Adjudicators

Hazelwood Trio

Donald Hazelwood made four tours of Asia with the Hazelwood Trio, a group including his wife,

Anne Menzies Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in t ...

and pianist

Rachel Valler Rachel Valler OAM (b. c1930 Sydney, Australia) is an Australian pianist. She was a member of the Hazelwood Trio. Career Rachel Valler's parents, Sonia and Joseph Vallerstein, arrived in Australia from Russia in 1927. Valler was their only daugh ...

. The final tour was made in 1997.

ABC Orchestra

Donald Hazelwood performed as a soloist with the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

orchestras on many occasions, including: *

Barry Conyngham Barry Ernest Conyngham (born 27 August 1944) is an Australian composer and academic. He has over 70 published works and over 30 recordings featuring his compositions, and his works have been premiered or performed in Australia, Japan, North and ...

's work ''

Ice Carving Ice sculpture is a form of sculpture that uses ice as the raw material. Sculptures from ice can be abstract or realistic and can be functional or purely decorative. Ice sculptures are generally associated with special or extravagant events becaus ...

'' for Violin Solo and Strings *

Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighbouring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigi ...

's '' Irkanda IV'' (released on CD) * Violin concertos by

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

(

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: Changes need ...

) and Bruch ( No. 1 in G minor) * Solo appearances at Under the Stars in 1992 and 1995.

Awards

Donald was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in 1976 and was made an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AO) in 1988 for his services to music.

Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

The

Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is an Australian music award. History and description The award was inaugurated in 1982. It honours the memory of Sir Bernard Heinze (1894–1982), who for 31 years was Ormond Professor of Music at the Unive ...

is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia. , - , 1997 , , Donald Hazelwood, , Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award , , , -

References

External links

Portrait of Donald Hazelwood
(1986), Music Australia.
Australian Trio in ConcertAustralian High Commission for Brunie Durassalam
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hazelwood, Donald 1930 births 2025 deaths Australian male classical violinists Concertmasters Officers of the Order of Australia Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire 21st-century Australian classical violinists 21st-century Australian male musicians 21st-century Australian musicians