Born Darwin Horacio Vargas-Wallis in Talagante, Chile on March 8, 1925, Vargas studied at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Chile) (also known as the Santiago Conservatory) at the University of Chile. His teachers at the conservatory included Domingo Santa Cruz Wilson, Jorge Urrutia Blondel, and Juan Orrego-Salas.[1]
While a student at the conservatory, Vargas began conducting choruses in Santiago. In 1956 he was appointed assistant conductor of the choir at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile; an ensemble directed by Orrego-Salas. From 1955–1962 he taught on the music faculty at the Talagante Seminary. He then taught at the Gonzalez Academy, Santiago (1964–1968) and the Valparaíso Naval School (music history, 1971), before returning to the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile as a professor of counterpoint and composition in 1972. He remained in this latter post until his death on April 8, 1988, in Santiago at the age of 63.[1]
Vargas won several prizes for his music compositions at festivals in his native country. He wrote several journal articles which were published in Revista musical chilena and La libertad.[1]