Bach Collegium San Diego was founded in 2003 by Ruben Valenzuela with the purpose of presenting historically informed performances of music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods of history. The chorus consists of the finest singers in San Diego. Valenzuela, the music director, holds an M.A. in musicology from San Diego State University and in 2009 was a Ph.D. student at Claremont Graduate University.
Valenzuela conducted Orchestra Nova San Diego in its 2009 performances of Haydn’s Creation, and 2011 performances of Handel’s Messiah. As of 2013, Ruben was completing a PhD in Musicology at Claremont Graduate University where he was researching basso continuo practices in the New World. In addition to his duties with the BCSD, he has also served as Director of the Music and Organist of St. Peters Episcopal Church in Del Mar.
Their first collaboration with the SDSU University Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr. Patrick Walders, took place February 7, 2014, at the History Center in Balboa Park. The program, the result of a mentoring course at SDSU's School of Music and Dance, included J.S. Bach and the Florilegium Portense.
In February 2015, Valenzuela was named music director at All Souls' Episcopal Church. The ensemble then named its first executive director, Abigail McKee, who was previously director of cultural events at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral.