Bob
It was the sixth of July, just a few weeks ago. I had called him a few times that week and successfully reached him on the third try. We talked briefly and before we said goodbye, he asked if I would coach one of his students. This young singer, he explained, has a lot of potential and he really enjoyed working with him.
That’s Bob.
He cared so much for his students which was evidenced by his patience, his kindness and lifelong dedication to teaching. He adored the human voice and respected all those who went to him for guidance. His vast knowledge, his generosity and his enthusiasm for a beautiful vowel were just some of the many things we admired and cherished about him. One afternoon in Urbania, Italy, Bob gave me a voice lesson. I had told him about my fear of singing above the staff and he wanted to show me that with the right vowels, I could get over my fear of (vocal) heights. By the end of our lesson, I was singing high Ds and Es — something I thought would never be possible. We had so much fun that afternoon and because Bob is Bob, he encouraged me to keep singing. He was our cheerleader and so very important to the development of so many artists around the world.
He loved languages and was never shy about expressing his desire to keep learning them. His eyes would light up with such joy in any discussion about language. I loved my lessons with him at the Met, which I often joked were sometimes like therapy sessions, and recorded many of them which I will treasure forever. In addition to my studies of the Italian language, I studied French and German with Bob and at one point, I tried Russian. This man had an abundance of patience, which meant that I could soak up all this knowledge from him without major frustrations and hurdles.
Bob was not a fan of taking pictures but I somehow managed to capture him a few times throughout the years. In these photos, one can see his kindness, his wonderful sense of humor and all the fun quirks that made him the man we all love and will truly miss. Long ago in a blog that no longer exists, I wrote a post titled, “Bob Cowart for President,” which was a post of appreciation for all of Bob’s wonderful qualities. So here is the updated version of that post, a small tribute to the extraordinary ordinary man we were so lucky to know and have in our lives.
Bob, you will always have my vote.
Bob and I shared a lot of meals together throughout the years. Even when I moved to Germany, we met for a meal every time I was in town. We even met for a drink once before our flights at JFK International Airport (to different locations) in 2011.
Here he is at Polpette 71 in 2018. I thought he wanted to go there for the meatballs but he was a vegetarian at the time.
This restaurant used to be “Il Bello Giardino” but he refused to call it that. “Why don’t we go to Il Bel Giardino (you know they call it, “bello”, but I can’t bring myself to say that — it’s ungrammatical).”
Bob taking a moment to smell the roses in Urbania, Italy. (2010)
While on a walk in Italy with John Moore, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge open field and near a beautiful old building that had a lot of history. I asked Bob to do an impromptu photoshoot. Here he is trying to get out of it but posing at the same time. (2010)
Bob in Italy (2010). We enjoyed our leisurely walks in nature - he could find beauty in everything.
At one of our many hangouts, the Le Pain Quotidien near his apartment. (2017)
Of course, Bob would walk to the nearest bookshelf in any room in the entire world and find the dictionary. (2010)
Here is the little house in Urbania that Bob adored. Every time we walked by it, Bob would always say that he wished that he could buy that house. (2010)
This was Bob’s reaction to the Photobooth application on my Macbook Pro in 2010.
He was amazed by the technology and could not stop laughing. So I kept taking pictures…
More Photobooth fun with Bob… and the only photo I have of just the two of us together.
Bob laughed and then laughed some more.
He adored cats and became friends with every single one of them that summer in Italy. He even named one (Pigrino) and fed him on a regular basis.
We enjoyed so many delicious meals that summer together in Urbania, Italy.
From the outdoor photoshoot in Urbania with John Moore.
Our mini-LYADP reunion in Urbania, Italy. From left to right: Grazia Doronzio, Robert Cowart, Jennifer Johnson-Cano, John Moore and Laura Poe.
It took a little bit of planning but I organized a surprise reunion for Bob with our Lindemann group in 2010. John Moore flew in from England and Grazia Doronzio drove hours from her hometown to surprise Bob for the weekend. Bob’s shock and delight from having all of us there together is something I will never forget.
With Bob at Le Pain Quotidien in 2016. I spent some time helping him with his “new” phone.
Our Lindemann Group
The Very First Day of 2007-2008 Season
Top Row (L to R): Ginger Costa-Jackson, Sasha Cooke, Matthew Plenk, Robert Cowart, Donovan Singletary,
Lenore Rosenberg, Vlad Iftinca,
Nathan Urbach, Irene Spiegelman
Bottow Row (L to R): Pei-Yao Wang, Ashley Emerson, Lisette Oropesa, Ken Noda, Laura Poe, Grazia Doronzio
with John Moore
with Grazia Doronzio
An excerpt from the BBC Documentary, “What Makes a Great Soprano” featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.
Here we get to see a rare moment caught on film of Bob shining in his element (2010).
Bob on a train in Italy. This time I added a prop to this photoshoot — something he would never read — and he was such a good sport about it.
Our Si parla, si canta group (2010) in Urbania, Italy. I love how everyone is looking at the camera EXCEPT Bob. This picture is hanging on my refrigerator in Germany.
Bob posing in front of our favorite restaurant, La Loggia with Brian Osborne.
My favorite photo from the outdoor photoshoot with Bob.
Certificate of Appreciation
27 trees planted in Israel in loving memory of Bob Cowart
I asked Bob this question a few years ago.
“Roberto, when are you going to retire?”
“Lauretta, I will retire when everyone sings with the proper Italian vowels.”
“Well, I guess you will have to teach forever.”
Thank you, dear Roberto for sharing your extraordinary gifts, your joy in teaching, your passion in learning… and most especially for your friendship.
Letum non Omnia Finit
In memoriam from The Juilliard School
Obituary: Metropolitan Opera & Juilliard Mentor Robert Cowart Passes Away from Operawire
Opera Suffers a Third Major Loss in a Weekend from SlippedDisc
Robert Cowart Legacy Page New York Times
A rare but beautiful moment onstage with Bob