Cover image via Provided to SAYS
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At just 11 years old, Kimberly Chan is already doing what most performers spend years working towards: collecting international awards, landing lead stage roles, and even earning an invitation to perform at one of the world's most iconic concert halls
Over the past two months, the young Malaysian musical theatre performer has received 15 awards from various international vocal competitions, marking a significant milestone in a journey that began much earlier than most would expect.
Kimberly first discovered her love for singing at the age of 7
What started as simple father-daughter duets at home slowly grew into daily practice sessions, school rehearsals, and small performances that sparked her journey into musical theatre.
The pair also create YouTube music videos together, a hobby that has helped her grow more comfortable performing and experimenting with her voice.
Today, the Cempaka International School student is balancing school life with a packed performing arts schedule under the Cempaka Performing Arts Company (CPAC), where students regularly take part in full-scale musical productions throughout the year.
For Kimberly, that passion has already translated into a string of stage roles
At 9 years old, she played Ariel in The Little Mermaid, before taking on Summer Hathaway in School of Rock.
Her performance earned her recognition at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, where she became the youngest nominee for Best Supporting Actor.
She also went on to star as Miss Honey in Matilda the Musical JR, and is set to return to the stage this May as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family.
While theatre has been a steady part of her growth, 2026 has also marked a breakthrough year on the international competition circuit
Since early this year, Kimberly has picked up 15 awards across multiple international vocal competitions held across the US, UK, Europe and Asia in just two months.
Her wins include top prizes across voice and musical theatre categories, reflecting a strong run on the global stage for the young performer.
One of her most significant achievements so far came at the International Music Competition Berlin – Grand Prize Virtuoso, where she received First Prize as the sole Malaysian laureate.
That recognition also led to an invitation to perform at the Berlin Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal on 1 April 2026, a venue closely associated with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and known for hosting international classical performances
Watch a video of her singing Part of Your World at Berlin Philharmonie here:
