Catching Shin Lim in the act is unlike watching any other magician perform. Instead of making people disappear or sawing them in half, he simply concentrates on card tricks. But he raises the level of his sleight of hand with a deck of cards to a fine art.

There's drama, music, and a kind of a ballet to Lim's magic. And he's known for performing his illusions without uttering a word, letting his hands and his cards do all the talking while his carefully curated music — Lim started out as a musician — tickles the audience's ears. If you've seen him in one of his many television appearances, be it Penn & Teller: Fool Us, America's Got Talent, or Jimmy Kimmel Live, then you've experienced only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a Shin Lim live performance.

Shin Lim Background

Born in Vancouver to Singaporean parents and raised in Massachusetts, Shin Lim had two passions in his youth: music and magic. He was studying music in college when he learned that he was suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. This discovery caused him to abandon playing the piano in favor of becoming a professional magician.

He got one of his first big breaks when he was given the chance to tour in China. Since he didn't speak the language, he kept silent during his tricks, and that practice became a signature of his shows. Bringing a bold, unprecedented artistry to the realm of card tricks, Lim really began to hit it big when he worked his magic on TV's Penn & Teller: Fool Us in 2015. The performance became a social media sensation that elevated his profile dramatically. Since then, he's frequently appeared on TV, twice becoming a winner on America's Got Talent. And he tours widely, taking his illusions everywhere from Las Vegas to Broadway.