Robert Armbruster
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John Robert Sommers Armbruster (October 9, 1897 – June 20, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, pianist and songwriter. He also recorded piano rolls under the pseudonyms of Henri Bergman, Edwin Gabriel, Robert Romayne, and Robert Summers.[1]
Biography
Armbruster was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When he was 8 years old, Armbruster began performing professionally in Philadelphia.[2]
After studying with Template:Ill he became a concert pianist, then branched out into conducting and a composing for radio, then television and film. He debuted as a pianist with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of eight. In his teenage years, he started recording piano rolls for the Aeolian Company's Duo-Art reproducing pianos and turned out hundreds of classical and salon-type performances for them. He attracted particular notice as orchestra leader of The Voice of Firestone, the songs "Cuddle Up" and "High Barbaree" and his compositions "Western Ballet" and "Variations in Miniature on Chopsticks".
During the 1940s, Armbruster was the conductor of the NBC Hollywood Orchestra for many charitable specials.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Other radio programs on which he worked included Blue Ribbon Time,[3] Blue Ribbon Town,[3]Template:R/superscript The Cass Daley Show,[3]Template:R/superscript Cavalcade of America,[3]Template:R/superscript The Charlie McCarthy Show,[3]Template:R/superscript Coronet on the Air,[3]Template:R/superscript Cousin Willie,[3]Template:R/superscript, The Cuckoo Hour,[3]Template:R/superscript A Day in the Life of Dennis Day,[3]Template:R/superscript The Electric Hour,[3]Template:R/superscript The Great Gildersleeve,[3]Template:R/superscript The Groucho Marx Show,[3]Template:R/superscript Hawthorne TBA,[3]Template:R/superscript The Kraft Music Hall,[3]Template:R/superscript The Nelson Eddy Show,[3]Template:R/superscript The Old Gold Program,[3]Template:R/superscript Red Ryder,[3]Template:R/superscript Sara's Private Caper,[3]Template:R/superscript and Western Caravan.[3]Template:R/superscript
In 1948, Armbruster was musical director, conductor and solo pianist for the Kraft Music Hall program starring Nelson Eddy. A fine pianist, he was featured each week in classical piano solos. The program had an excellent orchestra of about 35. Regular arrangers included Billy May and Nelson Riddle. In the sixties, Armbruster was head of the music department at MGM Studios.
He died in Santa Monica, California on June 20, 1994, at age 97.[2]
References
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- ↑ The Billings Rollography: Pianists Ginny Billings, Bob Billings - 1990 p36 "Henri Bergman, Edwin Gabriel, Robert Romayne, Robert Summers (Rolls listed under pseudonyms) Robert Armbruster was born in Philadelphia in 1896, and received his ..."
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External links
- http://www.naxos.com/orchestrainfo/811.htm
- DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 15, entry 36.
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- Pages with script errors
- 1897 births
- 1994 deaths
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American male composers
- American male conductors (music)
- Songwriters from Pennsylvania
- 20th-century American conductors (music)
- 20th-century American pianists
- 20th-century American composers
- American male pianists
- Classical musicians from Pennsylvania
- American male songwriters
- 20th-century American songwriters