Very modern and self-confident Bach from MalaysiaThursday, June 13, 2024 | Leipziger People's Newspaper
"... The lively, very modern, very self-confident Bach that the Malaysians are bringing to the west gallery of St. Thomas Church need not fear international comparison. This is already clear from the first notes of the motet "Komm, Jesu, komm". Delicate, immaculately intoned, clearly articulated, smoothly phrased and as intelligent as it is boldly dynamic. Chin integrates the space into his design and places the first of the two choirs on the parapet as a soloist. This compensates for the difference to the second choir, which has multiple members, but does not take away the individuality of the colors. The result is a rounded, yet transparently differentiated, magnificently bright and very eloquent sound. They are all about death - but Chin lets the light shine out from the delicately dancing strings and the wonderful oboes d'amore. This is how music is made with content - which sensitively plays around and entwines, illuminates and interprets the choir, which is also fabulous in the cantatas. ... A completely unexotic, first-class concert – and a strong argument for re-inviting David Chin and his Bach ensembles from Malaysia." [Read the full article in German] |
Germany & Malaysia Grand Concert TourMay 24, 2024 | BFM Radio Station | Juliet Jacobs
In June, Malaysia's Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra are set to be the first ensemble from Southeast Asia to be invited to perform in the most prestigious and important Bach landmarks in Germany: St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Bach Church in Arnstadt, as well as St. George's Church in Eisenach. The grand concert tour commences with two fundraising concerts right here in Kuala Lumpur. We catch up with Dr David Chin, the Founder and Artistic Director of Bachfest Malaysia, who is also the Director of the Bach Collegium and Music Professor at Augustana University in Sioux (SOO) Falls, South Dakota, and a Senior Fellow of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, Germany, to find out more about the programme in these fundraising concerts. [Listen to the podcast] |
St. John Passion (1725)August 25, 2023 | BFM 89.9 | Juliet Jacobs
The latest edition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s lesser-heard 1725 “St. John Passion” (ed. by Prof. Dr. Manuel Bärwald, 2021) will be performed for the first time in Malaysia by the Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra, led by conductor Prof. Dr. David Chin. This special version includes some of the most unique and dramatic arias which Bach has ever composed. [Listen to the podcast] |
‘Hello Mr Bach’, welcome to the world of classical musicFree Malaysia Today | May 22, 2023 | Terence Toh
PETALING JAYA: A friend of musician David Chin once flew all the way to Kuala Lumpur from Miri, Sarawak, just to catch the concert of a famous Taiwanese pop star. This was not a cheap trip: added up, her travel costs and concert tickets were a four-digit figure. Curious, Chin asked why she was willing to part with so much money. His friend replied: “Because his music was a part of my memories growing up.” [Read the article] |
Hello, Mr. Bach!May 12, 2023 | BFM 89.9 | Juliet Jacobs
As the saying goes, get them when they're young, and Bachfest Malaysia - an organisation dedicated towards promoting the music of J. S. Bach in Malaysia and beyond through performance and education - are planning just that. The group are holding their first-ever family concert called Hello, Mr. Bach! which has been specially designed for children, where they will meet and interact with “Mr. Bach” through storytelling and live music performances. David who is the Founder, Conductor and Artistic Director of Bachfest Malaysia will be playing the titular role, and he joins us to share more. [Listen to the podcast] |
All Things NewMarch 17, 2023 | BFM 89.9 | Juliet Jacobs
This year marks Johann Sebastian Bach’s 338th birthday - he was born on the 31st of March, 1685. To celebrate, Malaysia's renowned artists soprano Ang Mei Foong and pianist Ng Chong Lim will join the Malaysia Bach Festival Orchestra led by international conductor Dr. David Chin in a concert called All Things New, performing two solo cantatas and keyboard concertos. All three join us to discuss Bach's lasting legacy and also what's in store at the upcoming concert. [Listen to the interview] |
聆听巴赫的心灵情感──
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Out of the Depths: Bach Cantata Concert TourBFM 89.9 Front Row on the Bigger Picture
July 29, 2022, Producer: Juliet Jacobs Out of the Depths is the first post-lockdown concert by Bachfest Malaysia, featuring two moving Bach cantatas, performed by the award-winning Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra. Aside from the concert, world-renowned Bach scholar Prof. Dr. Michael Maul will be providing pre-concert lectures, and the concert tour is also the official book launch for Michael’s Chinese/English version of the Bach Pictorial Biography. We find out more about this from Dr. David Chin and Prof. Dr. Michael Maul. Both gentlemen share their love and appreciation of the music of seventeenth century German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach and why we should too. [Listen to the podcast] |
指揮家陳子虔:巴赫音樂的佈道者《星洲日报》2022年5月11日 | 报道:梁慧颖
喜欢西方古典音乐的人,一定不会不认识巴赫(或译巴哈, 1685-1750年),可是专门研究巴赫音乐,还为巴赫制作纪录片和翻译传记的人,在马来西亚应该就只有陳子虔一人。 陈子虔有丰富的指挥经验,也曾经在美国和本地大学的音乐系任教。对于本地音乐教育还有西方古典音乐,这些年他都有深刻的观察和体会,他觉得要改变很不容易,只能带着冒险精神,尽力去做自己可以做的事,但不敢奢求真能改变什么。 [阅读全文] |
This documentary lets you visit Bach landmarks, discover his stories and musicThe Star Newspaper | January 24, 2021 | By Rouwen Lin
An online documentary on German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, available on the Bachfest Malaysia Youtube channel, has been making its rounds among classical music fans starved of live concerts during these pandemic times. [Read more] |
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Pull Up a Chair: Meet David ChinAugust 5, 2020 on YouTube
A special interview hosted by Conductor Ruben Valenzuela, Artistic Director of Bach Collegium San Diego. |
A dream deferred, Bachfest Malaysia shares music onlineCLASSICAL 91.5 | ARTICLE BY MONA SEGHATOLESLAMI | ARRIL 30, 2020
Bachfest Malaysia (Malaysia Bach Festival) was founded in 2015 by Artistic Director David Chin to promote the music of J. S. Bach in Malaysia and beyond through performance and education. David is well known to the Rochester music community from his time here leading many performances, focusing on music by Bach, while he was a doctoral student at the Eastman School of Music. [Read the featured article here] |
Malaysian classical group joins Good Friday virtual concert from Bach’s Leipzig churchTHE STAR NEWSPAPER | ARTICLE BY TERRENCE TOH | ARPIL 9, 2020
Johann Sebastian Bach's classical work St John Passion to be live-streamed in a unique global collaboration from the German composer's St Thomas Church, Leipzig in Germany on Good Friday this April 10. [Read the featured article here] |
St John Passion to be live-streamed from Bach’s Leipzig church on Good FridayGRAMMAPHONE UK | APRIL 7, 2020
On Good Friday, 1724, JS Bach’s St John Passion was performed for the first time, in the St Nicholas Church, Leipzig. This year, history will be rewritten with ‘Passion, proof against the pandemic’, a live-streamed chamber-music version of the work, performed beside Bach’s tomb in the city's St Thomas Church. Organised by the annual Leipzig Bachfest, the performance will take place on Good Friday at the hour of Jesus’s death – 3pm (CET). [Read the featured article here] |
Bachfest Malaysia's response to the "Movement Control Order"THE STAR NEWSPAPER | ARTICLE BY TERENCE TOH | MARCH 23, 2020
After the movement control order (MCO) was announced last week, Bachfest Malaysia founder David Chin was worried about rehearsals with his fellow musicians. They had concerts coming up as well as a tour in Germany. How were they going to rehearse and make music together while staying home?... [Read the featured article here] |
Bachfest Malaysia featured in Berlin's eventArtistic Director David Chin appeared on the "Presentation of Bachfests" held in Berlin, Germany and spoke about the participation of the Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra in Bachfest Leipzig 2020. David joins in at around 29:00 in the video.
Watch and learn about the Bach activities in Germany and around the world! [full video] |
Modern Malaysian Maestro
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指挥家真的只是动动手指而已吗?
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巴赫經典神劇:《聖馬太受難曲》7月麻坡登場星洲網 |2019 年 6月 13日
配合巴赫(J.SBach)国际音乐节,马来西亚巴赫节合唱与管弦乐 (Bachfest Malaysia)逾60名团员,将于今年7月,首度南下柔佛麻坡,演绎历时3小时的经典神剧《圣马太受难曲》。 该团部分团员也将在6月率先来到麻坡这座文化城,举行“巴赫清唱剧讲座音乐会”,为上述7月的重头节目进行造势活动。 上述两项音乐盛会是由麻坡爱的旋律音乐事工主办,麻坡中华基督教会及麻坡长老会三一堂协办。其中,6月17日晚上8时,于麻坡文打烟路基督长老会三一堂举行的“巴赫清唱剧讲座音乐会”造势活动,入场免费,主办单位欢迎有兴趣聆听巴赫音乐的民众踊跃出席。 [閱讀全文] |
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【专题特写】连发梦也不敢想!
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CITY Plus Podcast
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Bachfest Malaysia on AiFM馬來西亞巴赫節藝術總監陳子虔受主播葉恩慈的邀請,到AiFM 「藝度空間」暢談馬來西亞巴赫節、巴赫與他的音樂、《聖馬太受難曲》音樂會以及明年到德國萊比錫演出的邀請。
Artistic Director David Chin was invited to AiFM to speak about Bachfest Malaysia 2019, Bach and his music, the St. Matthew Passion, as well as the invitation to perform at Bachfest Leipzig 2020. Listen to PART 1 Listen to PART 2 |
Bachfest Malaysia on 8TV 『八度空間』活力加油站藝術總監陳子虔在《聖馬太受難曲》音樂會前與『八度空間』“活力加油站”的主持人和觀眾介紹『馬來西亞巴赫節』今年的音樂會以及明年到德國萊比錫演出的邀請。
Artistic Director David Chin was invited to "Living Delight" on 8TV to speak about Bachfest Malaysia 2019 as well as the invitation to perform at Bachfest Leipzig 2020. [watch video] |
Bachfest Malaysia in Muar, JohorThe musicians are featured in this video by Muar Tourism during our "St. Matthew Passion" concert tour in Muar, Johor. This video also features "St. Matthew Passion" final rehearsal footage at the newly-built concert hall in Muar.
[watch video] |
Conversing with Bach Beyond Time and SpacePIN PRESTIGE MALAYSIA FASHION AND LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2019 | TEXT BY TRACY LOW Who the heck is David Chin? In 2020, he will be leading Malaysia Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra, a group founded by him, to perform in Germany. “A doctorate degree in conducting?” – A question which Malaysian conductor David Chin has often been asked by people who are not in the field of music. Is conducting as simple as merely waving one’s arm to make others sing or play? [full text here] 與巴赫隔空對話 陳子虔,究竟是何方神聖?2020年,他將帶領他所創辦的馬來西亞巴赫節合唱與管弦樂團,到德國演出。 “指揮都可以念博士?”面對不了解音樂領域的人,這是年僅34歲的馬來西亞年輕指揮家陳子虔David Chin最常被問起的問題。指揮就是揮揮兩手,“點人”演奏那麽簡單嗎?他提醒我,整個表演臺上,就只有指揮“發不出聲音”。 [全文] |
BFM 89.9: Bach's B Minor MassThis piece of 18th century music was one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s last compositions. The conductor and singer, of the upcoming performance, take us on a journey to understand this sacred work, and how it gave new form to vocal music. Bach’s B Minor Mass is considered as one of the “supreme achievements of classical music.”
[listen to the podcast] |
International conductor at helm of
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Commemorating the 500th anniversary
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Bringing Bach to MalaysiaInterview by Andrew Psarris | Eastman School of Music | September 4, 2015
Chin, a DMA student in choral conducting, is at the crossroads of Eastman-Asian relations as one of the “Name bearers” in bringing western music to audiences in Asia for the first time. I conducted an interview with David that highlights the importance of both the Eastman School of Music’s presence in Asia, and also the endeavor of bringing these immortal pieces to people who have never heard them. [click here for the full interview] |
BFM89.9: Bach's St. John PassionHosted by Lee Chwi Lynn | 89.9 FM The Business Station | July 29, 2015
The conductor, David Chin, situates the monumental Bach’s St John Passion in its historical context and points out its significance today in the collection of sacred works. The soloists tell about singing sacred music in modern times. [click here for the interview podcast] |