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where the author Kaju Roberto originally wrote it, by clicking on the link at the end of this article.
March 19, 2026
When musicians speak about rare talent, they do so carefully. But when the conversation turns to French guitarist Antoine Boyer, admiration flows easily. He is regarded as one of the few guitarists to master two radically different traditions ─ gypsy jazz and classical guitar. To understand how difficult and unusual that is, one might look to a baseball analogy. In the past century, only two — legends Babe Ruth and modern star Shohei Ohtani — have excelled both as elite pitchers and power hitters. In the guitar world, Boyer occupies a similarly rare position.
Gypsy jazz requires a pick and relies on powerful downstrokes and precise alternate picking. Classical guitar, by contrast, is played fingerstyle, demanding intricate coordination of four fingers and refined nail technique. The muscle memory required for each style is distinct and most musicians devote their lives to mastering just one.
Boyer began playing at age six, immersing himself first in gypsy jazz. As a teenager, he entered the conservatory to study classical guitar. His interpretations of the demanding works of Domenico Scarlatti have drawn praise. Scarlatti’s complex counterpoint, originally written for keyboard, is formidable on guitar. Yet Boyer moves through it with clarity and ease before pivoting back to improvisation with leading gypsy jazz players.
Boyer explained his musical development to me during our recent interview. Musicianship is only part of his story. It also led to something deeply personal ─ a cross-cultural love story between virtuosic musicians that began in Taiwan.
Meeting at a Taiwan Festival In 2018, Boyer met Korean harmonica player Yeore Kim at a gypsy jazz festival in Taipei. He had traveled from France to give masterclasses and perform concerts. She attended at a friend’s suggestion, despite knowing little about gypsy jazz. The festival unfolded over several days, filled with concerts, lessons and late-night jam sessions where they first played together.
There was an immediate complication ─ they did not share a spoken language. Boyer did not speak Korean. Kim spoke limited English and French was not an option. “So we played,” Boyer recalls. “The more music we played, the more we talked.” Music became their shared vocabulary.
Both describe that first collaboration as a moment of recognition. Boyer says he often senses a musician’s personality through tone — the way they hold an instrument, shape a phrase or connect with an audience. When he heard Kim’s harmonica, he was struck by her “powerful, honest, vibrant sound.”
Kim remembers feeling that Boyer possessed something she did not — and at the same time, that they shared something essential. That feeling deepened as they continued playing together. Taipei left a lasting impression ─ especially the relaxed atmosphere, the friendly people and the food. The city now holds a special significance: it is where their relationship began.
Today they are a happily married couple.
Growing Up With Music Kim grew up in a musical household; her mother was a piano teacher. As a child, she studied piano, cello, trumpet and drums before gravitating toward harmonica. She describes the instrument as uniquely close to the human voice — intimate, expressive and capable of subtle shading. Her first paid work came at 20, playing trumpet at weddings in Korea — a vibrant industry there.
Boyer’s father, an amateur pianist, encouraged him to take up guitar so they could play together. They began lessons at the same time, studying with the same teacher when Boyer was six. By 11 or 12, he was already performing concerts and earning money. His father managed logistics while they toured as a duet.
Neither Boyer nor Kim recalls a single turning point when they chose music as a profession. Music chose them.
Their influences span genres. For Boyer, gypsy jazz traces back to Django Reinhardt, the genre’s pioneering figure. Classical studies opened doors to a broader repertoire. Kim cites harmonica legend Toots Thielemans and jazz trumpeters Chet Baker and Miles Davis as formative inspirations.
Love and Collaboration Today, Boyer and Kim share both a life and a stage. However, that dual partnership required adjustment. “In the beginning, it was difficult to find the balance,” Kim says. The roles of life partner and musical partner are not identical. Over seven years together, they have learned each other’s rhythms — emotional patterns, stress responses and working styles. Structure helps. So does space.
“When you spend so much time together, you also need time alone,” Boyer explains. Recognizing when the other is stressed — and understanding that it is temporary — has been crucial. Not taking professional tension personally allows both the relationship and the music to flourish.
Artistically, they describe each other in poetic terms. Kim compares Boyer’s playing to a Monet impressionist painting — layered and nuanced. Boyer admires Kim’s ability to make a single note resonate deeply, creating an emotional impact that lingers.
The Album: You and I After years of performing in various group settings, the couple released their duet album, You and I. Though they had long intended to record as a duo, other collaborations delayed the project. Last year, they decided the time was right.
Recorded in Korea and released last May, the album features interpretations of existing compositions spanning jazz standards and classically inspired works. Rather than follow a rigid theme, they selected pieces based on a simple principle: the music had to suit their combined sound.
Some songs they loved individually did not translate effectively as a duet. Others flourished after careful arrangement. The pair recorded and mixed the album themselves, maintaining creative control, with outside assistance only for mastering.
Looking ahead, they plan to continue touring as a duo with performances scheduled across Europe and the United States.
From a chance jam session in Taipei to concert stages around the world, their journey underscores a simple truth: sometimes music speaks first — and says everything words cannot.
WATCH my full interview with Gypsy jazz and classical guitar virtuoso Antoine Boyer on YouTube at the link below: Read my article about the Gypsy jazz and classical guitar virtuoso Antoine Boyer where I originally wrote it in The Village View: https://villageview.nyc/2026/03/03/antoine-boyer-and-yeore-kim-a-love-story-in-taipei-told-through-music/Kaju Roberto is an accomplished musician, singer/ songwriter, journalist, and an award-winning producer. He is the artist Rad Jet.