Sir Charles Villiers Stanford

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (born September 30, 1852, Dublin, Ireland—died March 29, 1924, London, England) was an Anglo-Irish composer, conductor, and teacher who greatly influenced the generation of British composers that followed him; Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sir Arthur Bliss, and Gustav Holst were among his pupils.

Stanford studied at Trinity College Dublin and Queens’ College, Cambridge, and between 1874 and 1877 with Carl Reinecke in Leipzig and Friedrich Kiel in Berlin. He became professor of composition at the Royal College of Music in London in 1883 and professor of music at Cambridge in 1887. He also conducted the London Bach Choir (1885–1902) and the Leeds Triennial Festival orchestra (1901–10). He was knighted in 1901. Stanford was a prolific composer and was especially known for his orchestral works, which include seven symphonies and five Irish Rhapsodies. His other works include numerous choral pieces, 10 operas, and many songs. His music reflects the late 19th-century Romantic style, into which he introduced elements of Irish folk song.