Chong Lim - Biography

Chong works as a Producer, Musical Director, Arranger, Keyboard Player, Sound Programmer and Composer and is one of australia's most experienced musicians.

Whilst he had been playing piano since the age of seven, Chong Lim had never touched a synthesizer until he was twenty years old. He began playing in bands while studying Mechanical Engineering at Melbourne University, and then had his first break, joining Venetta's Taxi and then The Eurogliders, culminating in getting the seat in John Farnham’s band in 1994 and most famously became John’s Musical Director.

Chong Lim has worked in the music business now for over 20 years turning his passion for music into a lifelong career. He has heard his work played at the Olympics Games, felt the excitement of being on stage in front of tens of thousands of people and his work has flowed over into television working on Australia’s highest rating television programs.

He has also worked with the who's who of music, from Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Tina Arena, Paul Kelly, Dame Edna Everage, Sir George Martin, Boz Scaggs, Jermaine Jackson, Anthony Callea, to Delta Goodrem, Tina Arena, Christine Anu and many more as either Producer or Musical Director.

Chong was involved in both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and he was Musical Director and Composer for the recent Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

His passion for music turned to television when he signed on as Musical Director on the television program Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush. Since then he has appeared on countless television programs and heads into his 10th year as Musical Director for the Logie Awards.

Chong is more prominently known for his work as Musical Director on Dancing with the Stars which he has been involved with since it premiered seven series ago, now heading into its eighth series. Chong is also the Musical Director for It Takes Two.

Chong was the Musical Supervisor for the stage production of "Dirty Dancing" and also helped orchestrate Guy Sebastian’s album 'Taller, Stronger, Better' while Guy was starring in the first series of It Takes Two. Later that same year he also composed music for the Opening ceremonies of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.

He produced David Campbell's album 'Swing Sessions' with a full orchestra recorded mostly live and they reunited to produce "Swing Sessions 2" which went platinum and was top 10 on the ARIA charts.

Not one to be idle, 2007 was an extremely busy year for Chong. In addition to providing Musical Direction on It Takes Two series two and series six and seven of Dancing with the Stars, he produced David Hobson's album "The Promise", was Music Director and composer for "Citrawarna", a Malaysian cultural event in Kuala Lumpur May 2007 and worked on Kylie Minogue’s H&M Shanghai Launch April 2007.

In January Chong was made an Australia Day Ambassador 2008.