Boaz Kim is a music teacher teacher, harmonica repair-tech/customizer, and performer from Philadelphia, PA.   He began with piano lessons at an early age and discovered his father’s old harmonica in elementary school.  Intrigued by the free-reed instrument, he asked his father with how to get a single note on the tremolo harmonica, and from there he was hooked until he put the harmonicas away during high school. He graduated from West Chester University, with a B.M. in Music Education in 2016 with a focus on voice.  It was there where he had the opportunity to perform solo, with the Mastersingers and Concert Choir, Statesmen Jazz Ensemble, and the Marching Band. Boaz is very gracious for the existence of the music education program in his grade school and of his family’s never-ending support.

Through the internet he rediscovered the harmonica with players like Howard Levy, Jason Ricci, and Buddy Greene being his main influences.  This was during his university years where he would rebuild his harmonica chops in the practice rooms. What used to be a great but limited instrument for him as a teenager became an instrument with far more capabilities like more common wind instruments like the flute or trumpet. In July 2018, Boaz played solo harmonica at the Phillies Game as the featured performer for, “Make Music Philly,” and was a featured performer at the harmonica festival SPAH in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

After several years of teaching at private music schools, Boaz is mainly teaching from his home studio (online and in-person), performs with several bands of different genres (The Liz Miller Band, Hank Entwisle Band, and others), performs studio sessions, and repairs/customizes harmonicas for people throughout the US and as far as Canada and Japan.  

Besides classic harmonica trio music, Boaz loves to incorporate several types of harmonicas (Diatonic, bass, 48 chord, and chromatic) in other genres and ensembles.  Boaz's performing with each of these types of harmonicas work can be heard on several albums and jingles where he performed as a session musician.  His approach to the diatonic harmonica (blues harp) is versatile due to his musical upbringing and chromaticism using extended techniques.

Hohner has been producing some of the best and most legendary harmonicas since the big harmonica boom in the 19th-20th centuries. Most of the harmonica companies in the world base their designs on Hohner’s, even the obscure models like the double bass and 48 chord. Boaz’s harmonica journey always included Hohner models which most are well over 10 years old with many playing miles on them without needing reed replacements! In the beginning of 2021 Boaz was approached by Hohner to become a Hohner Performing Artist which he was proud to accept the honor.
Boaz Kim plays Hohner harmonicas exclusively.