Collaborative Team

Robert Colbourne

Choral Director

Robert Colbourne, B. Mus (Voice), B. Mus Ed, M. Ed., is a distinguished Canadian choral conductor, music educator, baritone singer, adjudicator, and musical director with over 25 years of experience in music education and performance. Widely respected for his excellence in vocal, piano, and theory instruction, he is recognized as an Advanced Specialist with the Royal Conservatory of Music and was honoured as a Teacher of Distinction for the Atlantic Canada region in 2022. His private students have achieved notable success at both local and provincial festivals, with many continuing on to pursue music at a professional level.  He has also received national recognition as a Juno-nominated Music Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Colbourne maintains an active and influential presence in both choral and educational communities. He serves as a conductor with Shallaway Youth Choir, directing the Nobile male voice ensemble, and is the Choral Director at Holy Heart of Mary High School, where he leads four choirs. Under his leadership, his ensembles have achieved exceptional acclaim, earning first place at the National Music Festival of Canada multiple times over the past two decades. His choirs have also captured top honours in Canada’s Music Class Challenge on four occasions in recent years.

Internationally recognized for their artistry, his choirs have toured extensively across North America and Europe, winning prestigious competitions such as FeelitLive’s Canada’s Best Choir and WorldStrides’ Best Ensemble at the 2022 New Orleans Music Festival. They have twice been invited to perform at Canada’s national choral conference, Podium, and have shared the stage with renowned artists including Kenny Rogers, Foreigner, and Australian children's performers, The Wiggles.

In addition to his choral work, Mr. Colbourne is an accomplished musical director, having led numerous acclaimed productions including Mamma Mia!, The Little Mermaid, The Sound of Music, Chicago, 42nd Street, and The Wizard of Oz. He is also an International Baccalaureate (IB) workshop leader, providing professional development and training for music educators across North America.

Mr. Colbourne resides just outside St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, with his wife, their two sons, and their Portuguese Water Dog.   He is looking forward to hearing all of the amazing singers at this festival!

Collaborative Pianist

Emily Pynn is a pianist and multi-instrumentalist who just graduated from Memorial University with a degree in Piano Performance with a minor in Composition. She is the owner of Pathways Music Studio in Paradise where she teaches students grades K-12 the piano, runs recitals, and has co-created/directed summer camps. She also has many years of experience accompanying and has been the pianist for the Chamber Choir, Trebles Choir, and Low Notes Choir at Holy Heart since 2022. Choir and singing are both big passions for Emily, and she has several years of experience doing both; she spent a decade studying voice with Ronalda Hutton-MacDonald, was/is a member of the Holy Heart Trebles Choir and Chamber Choir, Quintessential Vocal Ensemble, MUN Festival Choir and Chamber Choir, and Lady Cove Women's choir. 

Outside piano and voice, she is also a violist in the NSO (sub list!) and a percussionist in the Scruncheons Percussion Ensemble.