Robert Cowles is Professor Emeritus of Music at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where
during his 34-year career he directed the choral ensembles as well as taught music theory,
conducting, and the history of rock and roll.
Cowles has twice been a Fulbright Scholar, once in Finland, where he taught choral
literature and conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and once in Estonia, where he
taught choral literature and conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music. He has visited
Estonia for continued professional work and has organized and conducted choral ensembles
on concert tours throughout the entire Baltic region, including participation in the famed
Estonian Song Festival.
Cowles has also served as artistic director of area chamber choral ensembles such as
Mysterium, Syracuse Vocal Ensemble (SVE), and Seneca Camerata; he has been widely
acclaimed for high artistry in his leadership of these groups. He has taught choral literature
and guest lectured at the Eastman School of Music, and he has held conducting master
classes at the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki, Finland. As a choral singer, he has
performed with elite choral ensembles such as the Dale Warland Singers and the Estonian
Philharmonic Chamber Choir.
Cowles holds a doctorate from Indiana University School of Music, a master’s from New
England Conservatory of Music, and a Bachelor of Arts from Macalester College.