For more than three decades, Charles Kim has performed as a solo guitarist, and in bands across Chicago for special events, weddings, festivals and more. Charles also plays and performs Bass, Ukulele (including Batirone), Mandolin, and as an electronic musician playing on the Moog Synthesizer and Eurorack.

Throughout his career Charles has appeared on more than 30 albums with bands such as The Astronomer, Pinetop Seven (Truckstop/Atavistic), Pan American (Kranky), Fruit Bats (SubPop/Perishable), Verbow (Sony), and Chris Mills (Powerless Pop).

He works as a producer/recorder, and has composed written works for theater, dance companies and film.

Since 1999, Charles has taught hundreds of students how to play guitar, bass, write music and perform together in ensembles at the Old Town School of Folk Music—the largest non-profit community arts school in the United States. In 2016, he received the of The Old Town School Of Folk Music’s 2016 Distinguished Teaching Artist award.

Charles is the author of Teach Yourself Visually Guitar.

He studied with McArthur Grant Recipient Ken Vandermark for Jazz Studies and Improvisation, and studied Classical Guitar at Vanderbilt University.