Jane Hazelwood

Jane Hazelwood studied at the Sydney Conservatorium with Alexandru Todicescu and was accepted into tertiary studies on both violin and viola. In 1978, she was Co-Leader of the Australian Youth Orchestra (on violin). She began her professional career as a violinist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 1978.

In 1979, Jane decided to focus on viola and completed her D.S.C.M. with Merit whilst a member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

From 1983 until 1986, Jane undertook post-graduate studies with Wolfram Christ at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. During this time, she played regularly as a casual with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, including two international tours and a Salzburg Festival under the baton of Herbert von Karajan.

On returning from Germany in 1987, Jane was Principal Viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and moved to Melbourne in 1989, where she was a String Lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts, and a member of the Melbourne String Quartet. In 1993, Jane also undertook training in the Suzuki method of teaching for violin and viola with Robert Wakely.

In 1995, she returned to Sydney and spent 30 happy years as Tutti Viola with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She spent 3 months, on a job swap, playing with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London in 2006.

Jane has performed as a guest artist with the Australian Chamber Soloists, the Australia Ensemble, was a member of Pini, Hazelwood & Friends, and is a member of the Chanterelle Quartet. She was Guest Principal Viola of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra in November and December 2012.

Jane completed her Master of Teaching (Secondary) at UNE in 2015. She is a regular tutor at the Riverina Summer School for Strings and AYO activities. She has taught at the Sydney Conservatorium at tertiary level and for the “Rising Stars” Program and tutored Sydney Youth Orchestra.

Jane is the widow of violinist, Carl Pini, and they have three children, Daniel (35), cellist and conductor in Paris, Elena (33), amateur violinist and registered nurse/midwife based in Vanuatu, and Sebastian (23), Principal Bass, Cottbus Philharmonic Orchestra, and completing his Master of Music at the prestigious Hanns Eisler Conservatorium with Matthew McDonald in Berlin.