Vaughan Williams, Ralph

(born Oct. 12, 1872, Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, Eng.—died Aug. 26, 1958, London) British composer. He attended the Royal College of Music and Cambridge University, and he also studied in Berlin with the composer Max Bruch. Having collected English folk songs for his academic work, he combined folk melody with modern approaches to harmony and rhythm, forging a musical style at once highly personal and deeply English. His nine symphonies, including (1909), (1913), and (1952), were his most exploratory works. Other popular pieces include (1914) and (1938); he also wrote five operas, including (1936). He conducted extensively throughout his life, and he edited (1904–06).

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