Robert Samuel Powless, tenor, is from the small midwestern American town of Paducah, Kentucky. Before entering collegiate academia, Powless left a lasting impression on his hometown through his performances with professional, church, and school ensembles, all while gracing the stages of musicals, town fairs, and choral productions. In 2018, Powless began studying under Metropolitan Opera soprano Cynthia Lawrence, singing with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre company as a baritone in Puccini's operas Madama Butterfly and Gianni Schicchi. Since then, Powless has transitioned into a lyric tenor. Studying under Canadian pedagogue Dr. Dennis Bender, Powless has taken on roles ranging from the drunken older brother, Sam Polk, in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, to Donna Anna's betrothed, Don Ottavio, in Mozart's Don Giovanni, performing this role in both the US and in Prague, CZ. Powless has begun to expand his horizons to the concert stage, last fall singing the tenor solo in Handel's Messiah with the cathedral choirs and orchestra of Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington, KY. Powless, now having left the commonwealth of Kentucky for the bright lights of New York City, will be pursuing his Master's degree in voice from Mannes College at The New School for Music in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, studying with Metropolitan Opera tenor William Burden.