This year is a big year for Dr David Chin as it marks Bachfest Malaysia’s 10th anniversary and his 40th birthday. By a seemingly fateful coincidence, Chin was born exactly 300 years after his role model. He is a preeminent authority on one of the most recognisable names in classical music, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). In 2015, Chin’s admiration for Bach inspired him to create a festival focused on the prolific composer, which has evolved into the International Bachfest Malaysia 2025, the first of its kind in Asia. Since its inception, the Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra, which is led by Chin as the artistic director and conductor, has gone on a triumphant tour across Germany that has earned critical acclaim. The ensemble is the first in Southeast Asia to consistently focus on the study and performance of Bach’s music. Chin also produced Encountering Bach, a documentary filmed exclusively in Germany.
This year, the festival will be held from 23 to 27 July 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, where classical music lovers from across the continent are set to converge. It will see the debut of the Southeast Asia Bach Competition for young, talented musicians from the region, which offers three winners the opportunity to perform at the renowned Bachfest Leipzig 2026 in Germany. World-leading Bach tenor, Daniel Johannsen from Austria, is set to deliver two breathtaking performances of Bach’s monumental work, St. Matthew Passion.
Additionally, Tay Cher Siang (from Malaysia) and his ensemble WVC, who featured in Crazy Rich Asians, will add a fun touch of jazz to the classical proceedings. Two distinguished Malaysian musicians will also present solo recitals—Bernice Ooi performing violin partitas, and Ng Chong Lim interpreting the Goldberg Variations. Forums, exhibitions, and lectures will enhance the festival experience, with guests including Professor Dr Michael Maul, the Artistic Director of Bachfest Leipzig, who made international headlines when he discovered the 1,127th piece of Bach’s music that we never knew existed before.
As part of his glittering resume, Chin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music in New York. In 2022, Chin became a Senior Fellow of the prestigious Bach-Archiv Leipzig, an institution dedicated to researching Bach—only the fourth individual to receive this honour since 1950. He has also conducted choirs and orchestras worldwide, including six Broadway performances of Les Misérables in New York. In addition to his singing abilities, Chin has also won awards in piano solo, harpsichord concerto, and piano concerto, as well as original compositions for chorus and orchestra. Beyond the podium, Chin serves as Long-term Visiting Professor of Music at Augustana University in South Dakota.
What inspired you to start Bachfest?
There are many young musicians in Malaysia who are world-class, like our concertmaster, who is a tenure violinist at the Royal Swedish Opera. However, opportunities for musicians—especially singers—to be paid for their artistry are scarce, so I wanted to create a platform where young professional musicians could perform and be compensated for their work. Concurrently, my love for Bach’s music has always been a driving force that I wanted to use to enrich the classical music ecosystem in Malaysia.
Why should Robb Report Malaysia readers attend Bachfest?
If you’re a reader, you likely have a taste for the finest things in life. Bach was a man of extraordinary refinement and artistic depth, who represents the pinnacle of classical music. Experiencing his music is like enjoying the best cuisine, driving the finest car, or staying in the most luxurious hotel. Bach festivals are rare in Asia, but, now, some of the finest musicians are bringing this extraordinary music to our doorstep.
Among your numerous achievements, which is your most memorable?
It has to be conducting the Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach lived and worked for 27 years until his death. To represent Malaysia, performing in the space where he premiered so many of his masterpieces, was profoundly moving.
How did your musical journey begin, and at what age?
I’ve always had a love for music, but I ironically used to dislike classical music. My journey began relatively late when I was nine and tagged along with my sister for piano lessons. At age 12, I started serving as a church pianist and, by 16, I was conducting the choir. However, I only started being active in the music scene and taking an interest in Bach during my graduate school days.
What’s the funniest thing that’s happened during a performance?
While conducting St John Passion in Hong Kong, I accidentally knocked my glasses off while making a dramatic gesture. The next passage was a solemn one, and the musicians struggled to suppress their laughter as they passed my glasses back to me discreetly.
If you could have dinner with any musician—besides Bach—who would it be?
Clara Schumann, who played a crucial role in reviving Bach’s music alongside her husband Robert and Felix Mendelssohn. She is also regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. I see many parallels between us as we both travel extensively and make sacrifices for our love of Bach’s music.
If you could learn a new instrument, what would it be?
The pipe organ or the cello—both of which are fundamental to Bach’s music.
What is your guilty pleasure that you listen to?
I don’t really listen to pop music nowadays but, at the age of three, I used to like the Four Heavenly Kings of Pop: Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, and Leon Lai.
Where’s your favourite place to eat in the US?
I frequently visit an Argentinian steakhouse called Tarquin in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Besides the great food, the owner and his father are both opera singers, which make for fantastic conversations.
Tickets and festival passes for Bachfest Malaysia 2025 can be purchased from 21 March 2025 onwards here.
Lead image photos by Matthew Tylutki
