Ralph Hawkes was born in London in 1898, the second son and middle child of music publisher Oliver Hawkes and his wife Amelia (nee Haymann). He, his father and his brother Geoffrey were all awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1913.
His was educated at Clifton College and passed through both the Royal Artillery Academy in Woolwich and Sandhurst. He saw active service in France in 1918, where he was wounded in the left temple. After the war he studied at the Handels-Hochschule in St Gallen, Switzerland.
After the sudden death of their father in 1919, Ralph and Geoffrey inherited the family firm of Hawkes and Son, which had been founded by their grandfather who was the state trumpeter for Queen Victoria. Hawkes and Son were music publishers and brass instrument manufacturers. Aged just 21, Ralph took responsibility for the former, Geoffrey the latter.
Ralph was a prominent member of the Performing Rights Society (founded in part by his father) and was appointed their representative for the United States and Canada. His membership of the board of directors of the PRS led him to meet Leslie Boosey, and the merger of their firms in 1930 turned the resulting Boosey and Hawkes into a formidable force in twentieth century music.
The achievements of Ralph Hawkes and his firm included:
the restoration of Covent Garden opera house after WWII
the rescue of the works of Strauss, Kodaly and Bartok from obscurity or loss, and the signing up of the Jewish staff of the Viennese publishing house Universal Edition at the time of the Anschluss
championing of great composers such as Benjamin Britten
Away from work Ralph Hawkes was a keen golfer, yacht racer (owner of vessels such as 'Firebird' and 'Blue Marlin'), and Commodore of the Royal Offshore Racing Club. He was also several times part of the winning bobsled team on the Cresta Run, winning the Curzon Cup in 1929.
In 1946 he took on the development of the New York and Toronto branches of Boosey and Hawkes. He spent much of the last five years of his life in America, travelling in more style than he had during the war when he would 'commute' back and forth by working as a midshipman on transatlantic crossings.
Ralph Hawkes received his first warning of heart trouble in 1949. He died suddenly in Connecticut in 1950, apparently from a heart attack while bending down to smell a flower.
His was educated at Clifton College and passed through both the Royal Artillery Academy in Woolwich and Sandhurst. He saw active service in France in 1918, where he was wounded in the left temple. After the war he studied at the Handels-Hochschule in St Gallen, Switzerland.
After the sudden death of their father in 1919, Ralph and Geoffrey inherited the family firm of Hawkes and Son, which had been founded by their grandfather who was the state trumpeter for Queen Victoria. Hawkes and Son were music publishers and brass instrument manufacturers. Aged just 21, Ralph took responsibility for the former, Geoffrey the latter.
Ralph was a prominent member of the Performing Rights Society (founded in part by his father) and was appointed their representative for the United States and Canada. His membership of the board of directors of the PRS led him to meet Leslie Boosey, and the merger of their firms in 1930 turned the resulting Boosey and Hawkes into a formidable force in twentieth century music.
The achievements of Ralph Hawkes and his firm included:
the restoration of Covent Garden opera house after WWII
the rescue of the works of Strauss, Kodaly and Bartok from obscurity or loss, and the signing up of the Jewish staff of the Viennese publishing house Universal Edition at the time of the Anschluss
championing of great composers such as Benjamin Britten
Away from work Ralph Hawkes was a keen golfer, yacht racer (owner of vessels such as 'Firebird' and 'Blue Marlin'), and Commodore of the Royal Offshore Racing Club. He was also several times part of the winning bobsled team on the Cresta Run, winning the Curzon Cup in 1929.
In 1946 he took on the development of the New York and Toronto branches of Boosey and Hawkes. He spent much of the last five years of his life in America, travelling in more style than he had during the war when he would 'commute' back and forth by working as a midshipman on transatlantic crossings.
Ralph Hawkes received his first warning of heart trouble in 1949. He died suddenly in Connecticut in 1950, apparently from a heart attack while bending down to smell a flower.
Ralph Hawkes was born in London in 1898, the second son and middle child of music publisher Oliver Hawkes and his wife Amelia (nee Haymann). He, his father and his brother Geoffrey were all awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1913.
His was educated at Clifton College and passed through both the Royal Artillery Academy in Woolwich and Sandhurst. He saw active service in France in 1918, where he was wounded in the left temple. After the war he studied at the Handels-Hochschule in St Gallen, Switzerland.
After the sudden death of their father in 1919, Ralph and Geoffrey inherited the family firm of Hawkes and Son, which had been founded by their grandfather who was the state trumpeter for Queen Victoria. Hawkes and Son were music publishers and brass instrument manufacturers. Aged just 21, Ralph took responsibility for the former, Geoffrey the latter.
Ralph was a prominent member of the Performing Rights Society (founded in part by his father) and was appointed their representative for the United States and Canada. His membership of the board of directors of the PRS led him to meet Leslie Boosey, and the merger of their firms in 1930 turned the resulting Boosey and Hawkes into a formidable force in twentieth century music.
The achievements of Ralph Hawkes and his firm included:
the restoration of Covent Garden opera house after WWII
the rescue of the works of Strauss, Kodaly and Bartok from obscurity or loss, and the signing up of the Jewish staff of the Viennese publishing house Universal Edition at the time of the Anschluss
championing of great composers such as Benjamin Britten
Away from work Ralph Hawkes was a keen golfer, yacht racer (owner of vessels such as 'Firebird' and 'Blue Marlin'), and Commodore of the Royal Offshore Racing Club. He was also several times part of the winning bobsled team on the Cresta Run, winning the Curzon Cup in 1929.
In 1946 he took on the development of the New York and Toronto branches of Boosey and Hawkes. He spent much of the last five years of his life in America, travelling in more style than he had during the war when he would 'commute' back and forth by working as a midshipman on transatlantic crossings.
Ralph Hawkes received his first warning of heart trouble in 1949. He died suddenly in Connecticut in 1950, apparently from a heart attack while bending down to smell a flower.
His was educated at Clifton College and passed through both the Royal Artillery Academy in Woolwich and Sandhurst. He saw active service in France in 1918, where he was wounded in the left temple. After the war he studied at the Handels-Hochschule in St Gallen, Switzerland.
After the sudden death of their father in 1919, Ralph and Geoffrey inherited the family firm of Hawkes and Son, which had been founded by their grandfather who was the state trumpeter for Queen Victoria. Hawkes and Son were music publishers and brass instrument manufacturers. Aged just 21, Ralph took responsibility for the former, Geoffrey the latter.
Ralph was a prominent member of the Performing Rights Society (founded in part by his father) and was appointed their representative for the United States and Canada. His membership of the board of directors of the PRS led him to meet Leslie Boosey, and the merger of their firms in 1930 turned the resulting Boosey and Hawkes into a formidable force in twentieth century music.
The achievements of Ralph Hawkes and his firm included:
the restoration of Covent Garden opera house after WWII
the rescue of the works of Strauss, Kodaly and Bartok from obscurity or loss, and the signing up of the Jewish staff of the Viennese publishing house Universal Edition at the time of the Anschluss
championing of great composers such as Benjamin Britten
Away from work Ralph Hawkes was a keen golfer, yacht racer (owner of vessels such as 'Firebird' and 'Blue Marlin'), and Commodore of the Royal Offshore Racing Club. He was also several times part of the winning bobsled team on the Cresta Run, winning the Curzon Cup in 1929.
In 1946 he took on the development of the New York and Toronto branches of Boosey and Hawkes. He spent much of the last five years of his life in America, travelling in more style than he had during the war when he would 'commute' back and forth by working as a midshipman on transatlantic crossings.
Ralph Hawkes received his first warning of heart trouble in 1949. He died suddenly in Connecticut in 1950, apparently from a heart attack while bending down to smell a flower.
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Parents
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Records on Ancestry
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1911 England Census
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New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957
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Pennsylvania, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1798-1962
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California, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1882-1959
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London, England, Freedom of the City Admission Papers, 1681-1930
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