[[Category:University of Sydney alumni]]
[[Category:University of Sydney alumni]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:Possibly living people]]
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Rachel Valler |
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|---|---|
 Rachel Valler c1954 |
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| Also known as | Rachel Travers |
| Born | c1930 |
| Occupation | musician |
| Instrument | piano |
| Formerly of | Hazelwood Trio |
Musical artist
Rachel Valler OAM (b. c1930[1] Sydney, Australia) is an Australian pianist. She was a member of the Hazelwood Trio.
Rachel Valler’s parents, Sonia and Joseph Vallerstein, arrived in Australia from Russia in 1927. Valler was their only daughter,[2] born in Sydney.[3]
She studied piano from an early age,[4] performed with the Zionist Youth League during her teens as a solo pianist,[5] and was mentored by Ignaz Friedman until his death in 1948.[6] She also studied with Alexander Hmelnitsky.[7]
As a soloist, she performed with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and music clubs in 1951 aged 21.[1][8][9] That same year she received her Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University,[10][11] and went onto gain a Diploma of Education from Melbourne University.[2]
She taught music and worked in the library at Ascham Girls School,[3] and won the State final of the ABC Concerto Competition in 1954.[12] Although she did not win the Commonwealth finals, she was commended for her “thoughtful, searching, sensitive playing” of Chopin.[13]
She travelled to London in the early 1950s,[3] and taught piano while studying with the Hungarian pianist Ilona Kabos.[3] While there, she was awarded the Commonwealth Medal in the Harriet Cohen International Competition for 1956.[3]
During the 1980s she was considered one of Australia’s most distinguished classical musicians, alongside Donald Hazelwood and Anne Menzies. Together they performed as the Hazelwood Trio.[14]
She was also head teacher of English and Humanities, at Randwick Technical College.[15][16]
In 1995 she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for service to music.[17]
She is married to Walter Travers.[18]
