Denis Vaughan
Encyclopedia
Denis Vaughan is an orchestral conductor
most famous for his role as the driving force behind the creation of the United Kingdom
's National Lottery
. He is a campaigner for wider access to arts and culture for young people, and promotes the health benefits of music, the arts and sport. He is president of CAARE (Council for the Advancement of Arts, Recreation & Education), the charity he founded in 1996.
Vaughan was born in Melbourne
, Australia
, and graduated from Melbourne University
with a Bachelor of Music
in 1947. He won a scholarship to study organ and double bass at England’s Royal College of Music
, under the tutelage of George Thalben-Ball
and Eugene Cruft
.
In 1950, he joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
and went on tour to the United States
with Sir Thomas Beecham
. By 1954 he was assistant conductor and chorus master, in which capacity he formed the Beecham Choral Society. This was followed by engagements at La Scala
, Hamburg
and Munich
opera houses and a season at Bayreuth
as assistant to Hans Knappertsbusch
. In 1959, together with Klemperer
, Celibidache
, Bernstein
and Maazel
, Vaughan was invited to conduct one of the special concerts performed in Parma
in honour of Arturo Toscanini
.
By 1966, having settled in Rome, Vaughan had received worldwide acclaim for his recordings for RCA Victor
. His discography with the Orchestra "Scarlatti" of Naples includes the complete symphonies of Schubert
, twelve Haydn
symphonies, works by Schubert, Bach
and Mozart
, including eleven early symphonies and the opera Il re pastore
(with Lucia Popp
, Reri Grist
, and Luigi Alva
).
In the 1950s he participated in annual concerts featuring four harpsichordists, the three others being Thurston Dart
, George Malcolm
and Eileen Joyce
. In 1957 this group also recorded two of Vivaldi's Concertos for Four Harpsichords, one in a Bach arrangement, with the Pro Arte Orchestra
under Boris Ord. They also recorded Malcolm's Variations on a Theme of Mozart.
He then spent a few years in Germany, before being appointed by the Opera House in Adelaide as the artistic director of the theatre.
He moved to London in 1987 and began a campaign to establish a National Lottery in the UK, with the aim of increasing access to culture and sport for all young people, and therefore improving the daily quality of life of the nation. Following his 1988 Sunday Telegraph
article "Why not gamble on culture?", Ken Hargreaves MP presented an early day motion
in the House of Commons
in April 1989 calling for an Arts/Sports Lottery. It received 67 all-party signatures.
Less than a year later, the Adam Smith Institute
invited Vaughan to write a paper entitled "The Case for a National Arts Lottery". Articles were also featured in the House Magazine and The Times
, and Vaughan delivered an address to the Confederation of British Industry
(CBI) Sport and Leisure Conference. In January 1992, Vaughan advised Sir Ivan Lawrence QC, who led a debate in the House of Commons, and a year later the Commons approved the Lottery in a vote.
In succeeding in his campaign for a National Lottery, Vaughan increased funds for the arts and sport sevenfold. He was described by the late Lord Howell
at as "the man who brought more money to sport than anyone else in the 20th Century".
In 1996 he founded the charity CAARE to continue promoting the benefits of wider access to arts and sport, and to act as a monitor of the National Lottery’s use of funds in these areas. As president of CAARE he directs the charity’s work in seeking further improvements in the quality of life of young people in Britain.
In 2008 his work with CAARE was highly praised in the Times (April 17)("Thank heavens for campaigners such as Denis Vaughan"). The fundamental changes which he aims to achieve with CAARE's help include priorities in Treasury in GB, so that the daily lives of the populace are based on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual education, in equal proportions.
The minimal effort put into providing facilities for and constant stimulation towards daily participation for all young people in physical and creative activities needs to be radically changed until a permanent programme is available, not at risk of being dropped as a result of bureaucratic or political whim.
Vaughan's indications of how the holistic aspects of behaviour include spiritual awareness at a high level are discussed at the highest levels, including Anthony Seldon at Wellington College and Matthew Taylor at the Royal Society of Arts.
Denis Vaughan is an acknowledged world authority on the manuscript scores of Giuseppe Verdi
, Giacomo Puccini
and Antonín Dvořák
. He continues to conduct, as for instance in May 2005, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
most famous for his role as the driving force behind the creation of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
. He is a campaigner for wider access to arts and culture for young people, and promotes the health benefits of music, the arts and sport. He is president of CAARE (Council for the Advancement of Arts, Recreation & Education), the charity he founded in 1996.
Vaughan was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and graduated from Melbourne University
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
with a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
in 1947. He won a scholarship to study organ and double bass at England’s Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
, under the tutelage of George Thalben-Ball
George Thalben-Ball
Sir George Thomas Thalben-Ball CBE was an organist and composer who, though originally from Australia, spent most of his life in Britain....
and Eugene Cruft
Eugene Cruft
Eugene John Cruft was a British double bass player. He has been called the "leading double-bass player of his generation"....
.
In 1950, he joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
and went on tour to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with Sir Thomas Beecham
Thomas Beecham
Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet CH was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic orchestras. He was also closely associated with the Liverpool Philharmonic and Hallé orchestras...
. By 1954 he was assistant conductor and chorus master, in which capacity he formed the Beecham Choral Society. This was followed by engagements at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
opera houses and a season at Bayreuth
Bayreuth Festspielhaus
The or Bayreuth Festival Theatre is an opera house north of Bayreuth, Germany, dedicated solely to the performance of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner...
as assistant to Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch
Hans Knappertsbusch was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss....
. In 1959, together with Klemperer
Otto Klemperer
Otto Klemperer was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the leading conductors of the 20th century.-Biography:Otto Klemperer was born in Breslau, Silesia Province, then in Germany...
, Celibidache
Sergiu Celibidache
- Biography :Celibidache was born in Roman, Romania, and began his studies in music with the piano, after which he studied music, philosophy and mathematics in Bucharest, Romania and then in Paris...
, Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
and Maazel
Lorin Maazel
Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was...
, Vaughan was invited to conduct one of the special concerts performed in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
in honour of Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
.
By 1966, having settled in Rome, Vaughan had received worldwide acclaim for his recordings for RCA Victor
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
. His discography with the Orchestra "Scarlatti" of Naples includes the complete symphonies of Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
, twelve Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
symphonies, works by Schubert, Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, including eleven early symphonies and the opera Il re pastore
Il re pastore
Il re pastore is an opera, K. 208, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Metastasio, edited by Gianbattista Varesco. It is an opera seria...
(with Lucia Popp
Lucia Popp
Lucia Popp was a notable Slovak operatic soprano. She began her career as a soubrette soprano, and later moved into the light-lyric and lyric coloratura soprano repertoire and then the lighter Richard Strauss and Wagner operas. Her career included performances at Vienna State Opera, the...
, Reri Grist
Reri Grist
Reri Grist is an American coloratura soprano, one of the pioneer African-American singers to enjoy a major international career in opera.-Biography:...
, and Luigi Alva
Luigi Alva
Luis Ernesto Alva y Talledo, better known as Luigi Alva is a Peruvian operatic tenor, active in the third quarter of the 20th century. He was admired for his purity of tone, the elegance of his phrasing and the clarity of his diction...
).
In the 1950s he participated in annual concerts featuring four harpsichordists, the three others being Thurston Dart
Thurston Dart
Robert Thurston Dart , was a British musicologist, conductor and keyboard player. From 1964 he was Professor of Music at King's College London....
, George Malcolm
George Malcolm (musician)
George Malcolm CBE was an English harpsichordist and conductor.Malcolm's first instrument was the piano, and his first teacher was a nun who recognised his talent and recommended him to the Royal College of Music. Malcolm went on to study at Balliol College, Oxford...
and Eileen Joyce
Eileen Joyce
Eileen Alannah Joyce CMG was an Australian pianist whose career spanned more than 30 years. She lived in England in her adult years....
. In 1957 this group also recorded two of Vivaldi's Concertos for Four Harpsichords, one in a Bach arrangement, with the Pro Arte Orchestra
Pro Arte Orchestra
-Background:The Pro Arte Orchestra was founded as a limited company chaired by the double-bass player Eugene Cruft; directors also included Archie Camden and Antony English. The initial aim was to perform "the finest of the lighter classics in orchestral music"...
under Boris Ord. They also recorded Malcolm's Variations on a Theme of Mozart.
He then spent a few years in Germany, before being appointed by the Opera House in Adelaide as the artistic director of the theatre.
He moved to London in 1987 and began a campaign to establish a National Lottery in the UK, with the aim of increasing access to culture and sport for all young people, and therefore improving the daily quality of life of the nation. Following his 1988 Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
article "Why not gamble on culture?", Ken Hargreaves MP presented an early day motion
Early day motion
An Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in April 1989 calling for an Arts/Sports Lottery. It received 67 all-party signatures.
Less than a year later, the Adam Smith Institute
Adam Smith Institute
The Adam Smith Institute, abbreviated to ASI, is a think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after one of the founders of modern economics, Adam Smith. It espouses free market and classical liberal views, in particular by creating radical policy options in the light of public choice theory,...
invited Vaughan to write a paper entitled "The Case for a National Arts Lottery". Articles were also featured in the House Magazine and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and Vaughan delivered an address to the Confederation of British Industry
Confederation of British Industry
The Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works...
(CBI) Sport and Leisure Conference. In January 1992, Vaughan advised Sir Ivan Lawrence QC, who led a debate in the House of Commons, and a year later the Commons approved the Lottery in a vote.
In succeeding in his campaign for a National Lottery, Vaughan increased funds for the arts and sport sevenfold. He was described by the late Lord Howell
Denis Howell
Denis Herbert Howell, Baron Howell was a British Labour Party politician.Born in Birmingham, Howell was educated at Handsworth Grammar School, Birmingham and became a clerk and chairman of the Clerical and Administrative Workers Union standing orders committee. He was a Football League referee and...
at as "the man who brought more money to sport than anyone else in the 20th Century".
In 1996 he founded the charity CAARE to continue promoting the benefits of wider access to arts and sport, and to act as a monitor of the National Lottery’s use of funds in these areas. As president of CAARE he directs the charity’s work in seeking further improvements in the quality of life of young people in Britain.
In 2008 his work with CAARE was highly praised in the Times (April 17)("Thank heavens for campaigners such as Denis Vaughan"). The fundamental changes which he aims to achieve with CAARE's help include priorities in Treasury in GB, so that the daily lives of the populace are based on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual education, in equal proportions.
The minimal effort put into providing facilities for and constant stimulation towards daily participation for all young people in physical and creative activities needs to be radically changed until a permanent programme is available, not at risk of being dropped as a result of bureaucratic or political whim.
Vaughan's indications of how the holistic aspects of behaviour include spiritual awareness at a high level are discussed at the highest levels, including Anthony Seldon at Wellington College and Matthew Taylor at the Royal Society of Arts.
Denis Vaughan is an acknowledged world authority on the manuscript scores of Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
, Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
and Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
. He continues to conduct, as for instance in May 2005, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall.