Artistic Team
Michael Pin
Artistic Director
Michael is a native of Hamilton. He also serves as the Artistic Director of the Harlequin Singers and is excited to be sharing the Artistic Direction (with his wife, Laura) of the dynamic, Colamici Choir. He holds an Honours Music Education degree from University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Michael studied choral conducting with Deral Johnson and Victoria Meredith and voice with Steven Henrikson and was recognized by the Ontario Vocal Federation as Most Promising Young Choral Director and by the BHNCDSB OECTA unit for his innovations in curriculum design and development. He is also sought after for his work with Liturgical Music, having directed choirs at St. Michael’s in London, St. Ann’s in Ancaster, and Music Ministry groups representing the Brant Haldimand Norfolk CDSB.
During his twenty-nine year career as an educator, he was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with students aged 4 through 19 as Music Teacher, Arts Consultant, Vice-Principal, and Principal. They taught him much. He has also served as the Education Advisor for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, working with Indigenous dancer and artist, Santee Smith. He is most proud of the work he did as a Secondary School Music Teacher, where he led jazz bands, concert bands, jazz choirs, and concert choirs and directed musicals, effectively building a strong music programme for teenagers to thrive as budding musicians.
Laura Pin
Collaborative Pianist and
Artistic Advisor
Laura has worked extensively as a collaborative pianist, playing with many talented soloists and choirs including Maureen Forrester, The Amabile Youth Singers, Vox Nouveau, and The Faculty of Music Singers (Western). She completed music studies at the Banff School of Fine Arts and Western University where she studied with Arthur Rowe and was awarded the Alumni Gold Medal. She also holds an Associate of Music in Piano Performance from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music. As a choral accompanist Laura has toured in Europe, the U.S.A., The Bahamas, Hong Kong, and Canada. Based in Hamilton, she divides her time between playing for The Harlequin Singers and Hamilton Children’s Choir as well as working as a vocal coach and piano teacher. Laura’s diverse workload includes providing music as cantor and pianist for several churches in the Hamilton Diocese and working for area orchestras (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra) as audition accompanist and orchestral keyboard player.
Recent highlights have included guest appearances with Kokoro and Arcady, working as the festival accompanist for the Ontario Christian High School Choral Festival’s “Lifted Up” in 2023 and “Together Sing” in 2024, and the Hamilton Children’s Choir tours to Belgium in July 2023 for the Europa Cantat Junior Festival and to Llangollen, Wales in July 2024 for the International Musical Eisteddfod. Laura recently retired as accompanist for the Ambassadors Christian Male Chorus, a post she joyfully held for 29 years. Laura is excited about a new venture, Colamici, a choir celebrating friendship. She and her husband, Michael, serve as the Artistic Team, directing this fresh, new ensemble.
Laura was very honoured to have the song “Prayer for the Future” by Jeff Christmas, written and dedicated to her as the first accompanist of the Amabile Youth Singers as part of their 35th Anniversary celebrations.
Her intuitive musicality continues to win the admiration of many soloists, conductors, and music critics.
“Laura Pin must be one of the most accomplished accompanists in Canada” Hugh Fraser—The Hamilton Spectator
“The [Amabile] recording features sensitive piano accompaniment by Laura Clements [Pin]” Shelly Lawson—The London Free Press