[Tsing-Barh ]
(b Shanghai, China, Oct 17, 1925). Classical harmonica virtuoso, instrument designer, and manufacturer of Chinese birth. After immigrating to the United States in 1953 he worked for Hohner for many years, designing the first Hohner products made in the United States. These included the Professional 2012 and 2016 CBH (replacing internal metal slides with Delrin plastic resin; trademarked with his initials) and the Chordomonica series (multi-chord instruments with two slides which allow the player to produce melody and accompanying harmony). He founded his own brand in 1983 (Huang Harmonicas, Farmingdale, NY).
Huang plays the instrument “upside-down,” with the bass on the right, as his first Hohner instrument had the top and bottom plates installed in reverse; however, he is right-handed, so his personal instruments retain the slide button on the right end. He holds dual degrees in music and engineering from the Shanghai Conservatory and St. John’s University, Shanghai (...
