Robert Augustine Irving, DFC*, (28 August 1913 – 13 September 1991) was a British conductor whose reputation was mainly as a ballet conductor. Born in Winchester, England, the son of mountaineer and author R. L. G. Irving, he was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, graduating with a degree in music. He also studied with Malcolm Sargent and Constant Lambert at the Royal College of Music from 1934 to 1936. During World War II, he served with the Royal Air Force, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and bar. His many recordings include: