Schachat, Colin
Colin Schachat was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1962, where he received his schooling and University education. From the age of 12, he participated in major professional musical productions. In 1984 he was invited to participate in the World Chassidic Song Festival held in Israel. In South Africa he was a featured soloist in many concerts encompassing Cantorial, Yiddish, Chassidic and Israeli music. He also has an extensive classical repertoire and, as a baritone, has performed operatic arias in many concerts and soirees, both with piano and orchestral accompaniment. Colin was a member of the Johannesburg Jewish Male Choir where he performed as a baritone soloist. In 1987 he recorded a compilation of Chassidic songs composed by Moshe Laufer and in 1990 he completed a recording with Cantor Moshe Schulhof. He officiated as Cantor of the Linksfield Senderwood Hebrew Congregation for six years prior to emigrating to Israel in July 1992. In January 1994, Colin performed as baritone soloist with the Jerusalem Oratorio Choir in performances of Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service. He also performed this monumental work with the National Symphony Orchestra of South Africa and the Johannesburg Symphony Choir in September 1998. In 1994, Colin recorded a disc of light Cantorial, Yiddish and Israeli songs accompanied by Raymond Goldstein. In 1995, he recorded a song cycle of Shir Hashirim for Israel Radio and has appeared numerous times on radio and television. In 1998 he released a CD of duets with international Cantor and Tenor Ya’akov Motzen and in 1999 participated as principle baritone soloist in a recording of popular arias and Neopolitan songs with the acclaimed Ra’annana Symphonette Orchestra. He regularly participates in Concerts in Israel, the United States and South Africa and continues his vocal and Cantorial studies at the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute. Colin Schachat is married with three children and holds BA.LLB degrees.
