La Porte County Historical Society photo
By La Porte County Historian Bruce Johnson
Hazel Lucille Harrison was born May 12, 1883, the only child of Hiram and Olive Jane Harrison. The family lived at 1306 Clay St. in La Porte. Hiram played the piano for First Presbyterian Church. Hazel showed exceptional musical talent and began taking piano lessons when she was 4 from Richard Peglow, who was from England and was organist at the church.
By the time she was 8, Hazel was playing for local dance parties and making extra income for her family. She then came to the attention of Victor Heinze, famous German musician, who became her next piano teacher for many years, and she commuted from La Porte to Chicago for her lessons. Although she was homeschooled as a child, Hazel attended and graduated from La Porte High School in 1902. She continued to play for dance parties and taught piano to the children of many leading families in La Porte.
In 1904, when 20 years old, Hazel Harrison performed as soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Germany. It was the first appearance with a European orchestra of an American performer who had never studied outside the United States! Critics were most impressed. Sponsors volunteered to pay for her to continue to be trained by great European musicians and expanded her knowledge by visiting museums and art galleries.
La Porte County Historical Society photo
When World War I began in 1914, Hazel returned to America, moved to Chicago, and performed on concert tours throughout the U.S. from 1920 to 1926. On June 13, 1925, Hazel Harrison, “one of the greatest living woman pianists,” returned to La Porte to perform a benefit concert at La Porte High School Auditorium to raise $7,000 to complete construction of the new A.M.E. Church on Brighton Street.
To make a living during the Depression of the 1930s, Hazel taught at the Tuskegee Institute, Alabama State College, and Howard University. During World War II, she was called upon to play for recitals to raise money for the war effort. From 1947 to 1950, Hazel toured the U.S. and played the music of German, Russian, Austrian, Polish, and even some black composers. She performed with the Minneapolis Symphony under Eugene Ormandy and with the Hollywood Bowl Symphony under Izler Solomon.
Despite the immense praise as one of the greatest concert pianists of her time, Hazel was still denied access to many of the main concert halls in America because of her race. She retired from teaching at Howard University in 1954, and “the dean of native pianists” gave her Farewell Concert at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1954. She died there on April 29, 1969, at age 85.
Bruce R. Johnson is an educator, historian, genealogist, lecturer, musician, photographer, and world traveler. He serves on numerous boards of directors, including the La Porte County Historical Society. Email him at mrjsc@csinet.net.
Jill Kitowski
Feb 15. 2021
What an interesting person she was. Great article!
David Long
Feb 15. 2021
Great article and great piece of research.
Nichele O’Neal
Feb 15. 2021
My husband’s family were members at Community A.M.E (at Brighton and Ludlow) for over 40 years and I was not aware of this. I will be sure that this information gets put into the Presiding Elders hands that reside over this region so that her legacy will always be remembered there. Thank you sharing her story and writing this article.
Pam
Feb 15. 2021
Bruce great article keep them coming!
Chucka
Feb 15. 2021
Clearly Hazel was an immensely talented pianist. Using her talent raising money for the war effort, teaching at prestigious universities, preforming in famous venues are amazing accomplishments. Thanks for sharing her story!
Mike Kellems
Feb 15. 2021
Great piece of La Porte history! Thank you for taking the time to research and share!
Mary Beth Simpkins
Feb 15. 2021
Fascinating article!
Linda Roper Smith
Feb 15. 2021
Wonderful biography/history of a remarkable artist. Wish there were recordings of her works, Bravo Hazel! 🌹
lawman
Feb 15. 2021
very nice to see we had talented people and not just a serial killer. thank you
Myrna Russell
Feb 15. 2021
I really enjoyed this article – she was very talented!!
Richard Pate
Feb 15. 2021
My godmother, Viola Maddox, was one of the founding members of the AME Church on Brighton Street. She also played piano and I have some of her music books she purchased in Chicago.
John
Feb 15. 2021
Lawman: Nothing wrong with the serial killer. La Porte is quite famous for Belle Gunness, and she is an important part of our history, too.
Tom Stewart
Feb 15. 2021
Great article Bruce, it is truly amazing the different people that made national and international impact that came from LaPorte.
Patricia Tardell
Feb 17. 2021
Enjoyed this story Bruce. Great history coming out of Laporte, I wonder if Becky knew of her talent? Thank you for all you do.
Vicki Roberts
Feb 22. 2021
Very interesting article. Thank you.
Lisa Hunsley
Feb 21. 2021
Great story of this remarkable woman, very interesting..
Frank Zolvinski
Feb 16. 2021
Wonderful article for African American History Month. Thanks Bruce.
Tammy Jacobi
Feb 18. 2021
She is a great local artist to celebrate during Black History Month.
Thank you Bruce for lifting up her gifts.
June Hunt Hess
Feb 20. 2021
Thanks Bruce for the article. I don’t recall ever hearing her name. Are there recordings of her music anywhere? It would be wonderful to hear.
Wanda Akins
Feb 21. 2021
I grew up in the New Community AME Church, that’s where I found my walk with Christ at, under leadership of the late Reverend XL Abraham from Gary Indiana at the young age of 12 years old. I was baptized in Stone Lake Beach in Laporte Indiana along with my brother Ronald Akins. That is AWESOME Black history to know coming from a church that I grew up in . THIS truly touched my heart .
Marguerite Edmondson
Feb 20. 2021
Bruce let me say ‘Thank you’ for highlighting the legacy that everyone needs to hear about. I am still deeply saddened that even at this time in History so much of our great legacies have been hidden for so long. Finally a light bulb has been turned on to the many talents that were lost in our History.