| Robert F. Baustian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 June 1921 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Protestant |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 16126186 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944) |
| Section | 5C |
| Enlisted | Chicago, Illinois |
| Team | IPW 153 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Robert F. Baustian (born 4 June 1921) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19 and served with IPW Team 153.
Biography
Robert Baustian was a Ritchie Boy. Robert was born June 4, 1921 at Storm Lake, Iowa. He graduated from East High School in Sioux City in 1938 and received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in 1942. During World War II, Robert was with U. Army Intelligence as an interrogator of German prisoners of war. He enlisted in the U. Army Signal Gyps in September of 1942, training in the enlisted reserve (radar) in Chicago and vicinity. He was inducted into active service at Fort Custer, Michigan, in September 1943, received his basic training at Miami Beach, Florida, trained for German prisoner of war interrogation at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, and was in combat with the 4th Infantry Division and the 11th Armored Division in Germany from November 1944 to May 1945. With a Tech/5 rating, received his discharge March 1946 at Camp Grant, Illinois. He was awarded the Bronze Star. In 1946, he returned to the Eastman School of Music and received his Master of Music degree in 1948. There followed advanced study at the Conservatory of Music in Zurich, Switzerland, and five seasons as a coach and conductor at the Stadttheater (opera) there. A pianist and conductor of opera and symphony, he has conducted in Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain as well as being the assistant conductor for Gian-Carlo Menotti's opera, "The Consul," which toured the United States in 1950 and 1951. From 1953 to 1957, he was the second conductor at Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden, Germany, returning to the United States in 1957. Robert Baustian's association with The Santa Fe Opera began in 1957, when he was invited by Founder John Crosby to join the company in its very first season. He was a pillar of the conducting staff until 1977, and his influence helped establish the company's strong artistic standards. Maestro Baustian's exceptional musicianship was much admired; one colleague remembers him sitting down and playing a full orchestral score from sight. During his 20-year tenure in Santa Fe, he conducted 51 productions of 25 different operas, in repertory ranging from Marvin Levy's The Tower (1957) to Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, which he conducted in 8 different seasons. Baustian was known for his special interest in young singers, and many who had the opportunity to work with him credit those experiences as fundamentally shaping their careers. Beginning in 1966, and concurrent with his Santa Fe responsibilities, Mr. Baustian was head of the conducting department at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where he mentored young conductors. He continued at Oberlin until 1983. His generosity to the Opera extended beyond his teaching and conducting duties; he served on the Board of Directors from 1985-1990 and was a generous supporter of his beloved Apprentice Program for more than 25 years. Robert passed away February 2016 at the age of 94.
Research notes
- ASTP
- 6/4/1921-a
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 16126186 |
| Nara Name | BAUSTIAN ROBERT F |
| Nara State | 72 |
| Nara County | 169 |
| Nara POE | 6120 |
| Nara DOE | 180942 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | SC |
| Nara Branch Code | 90 |
| Branch | Signal Corps |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 0 |
| Term of enlistment | Unknown |
| Defer. Date | 3 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | 72 |
| Nativity.1 | IOWA |
| Nara Year of Birth | 21 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 8 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 71 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 145 |
| Class_ASN | 16126186 |
| Class_Name | BAUSTIAN, Robert F. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Sources
- Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
- NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2023-01-01 (1 post)