Donald Hazelwood
Donald Leslie Grant Hazelwood AO OBE 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.
Hazelwood died in Sydney on 8 March 2025, at the age of 95.
Career
Donald Hazelwood first played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra 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.
From 1989 to 1991, and in 1996, he was Director of the Australian Youth Orchestra .
He was a life member of Australian Youth Orchestra.
In 1997, Hazelwood had a tribute concert at the Sydney Opera House, 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
Groups
Spokane Symphony Orchestra
Donald Hazelwood represented Australia at the 1974 Expo in Spokane, Washington by performing Tchaikovsky'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 in 1985.Austral String Quartet
Hazelwood was leader of the Austral String Quartet and made two world tours with the group.Hazelwood Trio
Donald Hazelwood made four tours of Asia with the Hazelwood Trio, a group including his wife, Anne Menzies and pianist Rachel Valler. The final tour was made in 1997.ABC Orchestra
Donald Hazelwood performed as a soloist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation orchestras on many occasions, including:- Barry Conyngham's work Ice Carving for Violin Solo and Strings
- Peter Sculthorpe's Irkanda IV
- Violin concertos by Elgar and Bruch
- Solo appearances at Under the Stars in 1992 and 1995.