Plantation Drive Painting

Andrew Hmelnitsky is from the third generation in a line of Russian artists and musicians, who originally immigrated to Australia in the early 1940’s after the Japanese invasion of Java. Originally from Moscow, the family had already fled from the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 to China, where they set up shop in Shanghai, running the Conservatorium of Music. Then, due to the Japanese presence in China, they were forced to again flee. Professor Alexander Hmelnitsky, Andrew”s grandfather, a Graduate of the Moscow Conservatorium, worked as Court musician to Czar Nicholas 2 of Russia and as musical director and accompanist to Anna Pavlova the famous Russian Ballerina. He was also a member of the The Moscow Trio, who toured extensively throughout Europe, China and Japan. When the family eventually arrived in Australia in 1941, Alexander took up a position at Palings, teaching the piano. After his death in 1965 his obituary written by Kathleen Moodie in the Sydney Morning Herald said “ I think I speak for all of us when I say that such was Hmelnitsky’s method of imparting knowledge and his power of giving inspiration to others that in future years, as in the past, we shall still quote musical ideas and thoughts given to us by this very outstanding musician”. As well, Ludmilla Hmelnitsky, Alexander’s wife was an award winning cellist and also a member of the Moscow Trio. Their three sons were also virtuoso musicians in their own right. Bogdan a violinist. Igor a pianist, was considered one of the best in the country, giving many recitals and was also piano master at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney for many years. Due to the xenophobic attitude in Australia at the time of the arrival of the Hmelnitsky family, no members were permitted to play with the Sydney Symphony orchestra, as they were considered to be aliens. Bearing the title: ALIEN: restricted one”s rights to join any unions, and since they could not join the Musicians Union, they were unable to perform at a level they had once enjoyed internationally. Oleg, the youngest of the three brothers was Andrew”s father and had been pronounced a child prodigy at the tender age of three. By the age of thirteen newspaper clippings show him performing virtuoso performances around Sydney and at the Conservatorium of Music.