The road one walks as a violin maker is singularly his own, in the same way as his instruments bear a personality and character distinct from all others. This is even more so than others in the music profession, due to the master-apprentice relationship that goes back centuries to at least the time of Amati – the maker that brought us Stradivari, and who continues to inspire the work of Malaysian luthier Tan Chin Seng.

Trained first in Han Zhao Sheng’s workshop as an apprentice in 2010, Chin Seng then learned under maestro Bertrand Yves Delisle, who spends time in Kuala Lumpur every summer. His experiences with maestro Michele Mecatti, Paolo Sorgentone, and Gianluca Montenegro in Florence, Italy, has enabled him to further discover his own style.

A trailblazer in violin-making in this region, Chin Seng has set a benchmark by winning several medals in Italy.

• Silver Medal Cello in Malta International Violin-Making Competition 2020.
• Gold Medal Violin in ANLAI International Violin-Making Competition 2019, Italy.
• Gold Medal Viola in ANLAI International Violin-Making Competition 2019, Italy.