Biography:

Donald Leslie Grant Hazelwood AO OBE (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.[1]

Hazelwood died in Sydney on 8 March 2025, at the age of 95.[2]

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 National Music Camp.

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.

Credits: