Welcome to the Vaughan Williams Foundation – one of the foremost sources of funding for recent and contemporary music in the UK
The Vaughan Williams Foundation is a grant-giving charity which upholds the values and vision of the celebrated composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and his wife Ursula Vaughan Williams.
Our principal aims are to honour RVW’s desire to support his fellow composers, and to help make his own work widely accessible to the general public.
VWF was founded in 2022, 150 years after the composer’s birth, and brings together the two charities originally set up by Ralph (RVW Trust) and Ursula (Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust).
Funding
VWF supports the work, performance and recording of British/Irish composers from the last 100 years; as well as projects which further the knowledge and understanding of the life and music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and of the work of Ursula Vaughan Williams.
Applications are open to ensembles, organisations and individuals.
The Foundation also offers annual Vaughan Williams Bursaries for postgraduate composition students.
Vaughan Williams Bursaries
Congratulations to the seven composers who have received the 2024 Vaughan Williams Bursaries towards their masters studies in composition.
Over 260 Bursaries have been awarded for postgraduate study since 1984. Applications for the 25/6 academic year will open in autumn 2024.
RVW
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) is one of the greatest of British composers whose music, generosity and vision for community music making, continue to impact British musical life.
Find out more about the composer and explore our extensive archive of letters and photographs and catalogue of published works.
READ THE LATEST
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Vaughan Williams Foundation
@vwfndn
12 lines from English poet George Meredith’s 122-line poem, The Lark Ascending, that Vaughan Williams wrote at the head of his score… 🎼
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Vaughan Williams Foundation
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Andrew Palmer, group editor of the @yorkshirepost, writes on a recording from the Albion Records archive featuring Canadian-born violinist Frederick Grinke (1911–1987)…
🗞️ Read the article here: https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Classical-Music-Ralph-Vaughan-Williams-The-Grinke-Legacy
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Vaughan Williams Foundation
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Find out more about funding opportunities with the Vaughan Williams Foundation.
Details here 👉 https://vaughanwilliamsfoundation.org/funding/here:
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Vaughan Williams Foundation
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“Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis changed English musical history and forged its future too” – ABC Classic explores the impact of the first performance of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia.
Read and listen here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/classic/features/classically-curious-ralph-vaughan-williams/10352508
PremierClassical
@premierclassica
⭐ Introducing the @ivorsacademy 2024 nominees! ⭐
36 composers are in the running for an Ivor Novello Award at this year’s Ivors Classical Awards! Supported by @PRSformusic in association with @BBCRadio3 #TheIvorsClassicalAwards
@BBCArts @BBCArtsPR @ABRSM @PrestoMusicCom
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Vaughan Williams Foundation
@vwfndn
We were delighted to add some new letters to the database thanks to help from @CharterhouseSch recently.
Particularly enjoying RVW’s thoughts on organ tone which might raise a few eyebrows! 👀 Find them here: https://vaughanwilliamsfoundation.org/letter/letter-from-ralph-vaughan-williams-to-charles-h-moody/
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Vaughan Williams Foundation
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Free #London concert!
Black Sun by @gavhiggins, supported by the VWF, will premier at Regents Hall on Oxford Street on November 16, at 7.30pm.
Gavin will give a pre-concert talk at 7pm and Outsliders Trombone Quartet and the @RCMLondon Trombone Choir will perform.
Stephanie Lamprea
@slampreasoprano
22 October at @soundscotland
Aud The Deep Minded, a new work by Joanna Nicholson that explores the psyche of the mystical viking Aud. Performing with Jo, Andy Saunders, & Alistair MacDonald! Thanks to @CreativeScots & @VWFndn for supporting the work. ✨
https://sound-scotland.co.uk/event/joanna-nicholson-the-deepminded
Piatti Quartet
@piattiquartet
🚨🚨SINGLE RELEASE🚨🚨
New music composed this year by @JosephPhibbs commissioned by us and RTF!
❤️ to @VWFndn
Premiered @PresteigneFest @Ryearts @KingsPlace
@BBCRadio3 @GramophoneMag @TheStradMag
An exquisitely beautifully crafted Cantilena
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Kevin Appleby
@kevinmappleby
@RVWtweets born OTD 1872, portrayed by sculptor David McFall in a monument in the entrance of @spireofdorking, and reflecting the composer’s long association with the #Surrey town
THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Featured Letter
Get to know the man and his music
RVW’s wide-ranging correspondence – with family, pupils, fellow composers, conductors and performers – paints an intriguing portrait of the man, as well as providing fascinating insights into his major preoccupations: musical, personal and political.
Our searchable database includes over 5000 annotated transcriptions of his correspondence all available to read online.
Letter of the Day
Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Elizabeth Maconchy
Letter No.: VWL1702
The White Gates,
Dorking.
Oct 13 [1942]
Dearest Betty
Thank you for writing me a piece – I thought the joke came off very well1
All my love
Uncle Ralph
1. The letter refers to Maconchy’s Variations on a Well-known Theme, written in 1942 for VW’s 70th birthday celebration concert, organised by the BBC. The well-known theme was ‘For he’s a jolly good fellow’.
