News

Regina Gelfer, Editor

• On Friday, October 25, Bjorn hosted a "Card Sleights" workshop for the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 26.  He performed, then taught, including what magicians call "the real work" for the Top Palm, Top Change, Pass/Shift, and Second Deal, and as a bonus, performed and taught one of his favorite "NO sleight" card tricks.  Bjorn provided detailed illustrated workshop notes. Bjorn expressed his sincere appreciation to Frank Reyes for inviting Bjorn to present the workshop and for making extra special arrangements for the event, and to Ring 26 members for a great turnout.

• Bjorn has been asked by the International Brotherhood of Magicians New York Ring 26 to present a card sleights workshop on Friday, October 25, 2024.
  Frank Reyes conceived of the idea for the workshop, with questions for Ring 26 members, ”Have there been card tricks you skipped because the tricks included sleights that have the reputation of being difficult?”
  Bjorn will be presenting classic sleights including the Top Palm, Top Change, Pass/Shift, and Second Deal.
  Those classic four sleights may still be the best for many tricks. 
  As a bonus, Bjorn will teach his favorite card trick that has NO sleights. Also, Bjorn has prepared complimentary detailed workshop notes for attendees.

• Bjorn "re-appeared" for another series at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, and performed 21 shows January 8 to 14, 2024 in the famous Magic Castle Close-up Gallery.   Most magicians and audiences would agree that The Magic Castle is the best venue to perform and to see great magic.  With these performances, Bjorn has performed 161 shows at The Magic Castle.

• Bjorn will be re-appearing at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, performing shows nightly January 8 through 14, 2024.  Bjorn has performed 140 shows at The Magic Castle. The Magic Castle is one of the most extraordinary venues to perform magic, and to see and experience great magic.

• On March 11, 2023, Bjorn attended a private annual gathering of some of the magicians most close to David Roth to again celebrate David and the wonderful things he did to advance the art of magic.  The gathering was arranged by his personal manager, Dr. Regina Monaco, and held at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. The attendees shared reminiscences and presented magic inspired by David. 
  One of the stories magicians enjoy retelling is about the first time David performed at The Magic Castle.  In the audience was Dai Vernon, who many magicians agree was the most important and influential magician of the last century (Vernon lived until he was 98 years old in 1992).  As David's show ended, and the audience was leaving The Close-up Gallery showroom, Vernon stood and announced something like, "Wait, you may not know what you just experienced, this young man presented some of the best magic I have ever seen, and I have seen all of the greats."   
  David is universally regarded as the greatest coin magician in the history of magic.

• MUM, the magazine of The Society of American Magicians, included an article (please see the image below) about Bjorn's recent show and lecture.  The article includes, "Bjorn's performance was a smash hit with PA1 members, who literally did "oohs" and "ahs" as they watched."

• On Friday, October 7, the Society of American Magicians Parent Assembly presented and evening with Bjorn Hanson.  Bjorn performed the routine from his most recent Close-up Gallery Magic Castle shows, in January 2020, and then presented a lecture about tricks and sleights used in the routine. The event was at The Pierre hotel in the Wedgwood Room and Salon, a spectacular setting for a close-up magic show . Bjorn organized a display of Thurston and Kellar posters and documents, including original photographs and letters related to those two of the most important magicians in magic history.  In the audience were renowned magicians including Dorothy Dietrich  "The First Lady of Magic', Dick Brookz "Richard Bravo", and David Kaye "Silly Billy". 

• On Friday, October 7,  2022, Bjorn will be presenting a close-up magic show to the Society of American Magicians Parent Assembly #1 at The Pierre hotel in New York, followed by a lecture and discussion about his performances at The Magic Castle in Hollywood. 

• On Thursday, May 26, 2022 there was a special International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 26 New York Chapter virtual meeting with special guest George Schindler.  George, 93 years old, is the Lifetime Dean of the Society of American Magicians.  He has appeared on the The Mike Douglas Show, The Morning Show with Regis Philbin, and The View, and appeared in Woody Allen's movie New York Stories.  As a performer, mentor, author, teacher, producer, and spokesperson for magic, George has been one of the most influential American magicians over the last more than 50 years.  For this meeting, magicians were asked to present magic from George's books or videos. Bjorn presented "Jack-Ro-Batics" from Magic with Cards (1973), by Frank Garcia and George Schindler. George gave Bjorn an extra nice compliment on his handling of the trick.

• Bjorn attended the virtual Memorial Service for David Roth on March 13, 2021.  Co-host Dr. Regina Monaco mentioned a new project David and Bjorn had been working on, and the poster for the project, which is shown below, was in the background.  About David Roth, Bjorn comments, “David Roth was the most innovative and influential close-up magician of the last 50 years, and among the greatest magicians ever." David’s techniques, method, and presentations changed magic forever. I will be forever grateful to have known David. David is probably in a magic session in heaven right now with other greatest magicians of all time, amazing them.

• Bjorn was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International on January 21, 2020.  Michael Eisner, former CEO of The Walt Disney Company and Ian Schrager, co-founder of Studio 54 and Chairman and CEO of Ian Schrager Hotels both spoke about Bjorn’s magic.  Other speakers participating in the presention the award were Malcom X and Dr. Betty Shabazz’s daughter, author, and renowned speaker Ilyasah Shabazz, Chairman and CEO of Summit Hotels Daniel Hansen, and NYU Tisch Center Dean Nicolas Graf.

• Bjorn "re-appeared" in the Close-up Gallery at The Magic Castle in Hollywood for a week of shows January 6 though 12, 2020.  Other magicians appearing on the program that week included John Carney, Michael Caveney, John Gaughan, and Peter Studebaker - what a great week to be performing at The Magic Castle!

• Bjorn will be re-appearing at The Magic Castle in the Close-up Gallery, January 6 through 12, 2020.  

• Bjorn presented a lecture to the International Brotherhood of Magicians - Ring 26, the New York chapter, on March 8, 2019.  The lecture was titled, "Sleightly Self-working Card Tricks".  Bjorn provided illustrated lecture notes and the lecture included original tricks and classics from magicians past and present. 

• Bjorn will be presenting a lecture to the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Ring 26 in New York on Friday, March 8.  The title of the lecture is, "Sleightly Self-working Card Tricks".

• Bjorn "re-appeared" again this year in the Close-up Gallery at The Magic Castle in Hollywood January 11 through 14, 2018.  Bjorn's first performance at The Magic Castle was in 1989, and he has performed over 120 shows in the Close-up Gallery. 

• Bjorn will be re-appearing at The Magic Castle in Hollywood in the Close-up Gallery January 11 through 14, 2018. 

• Bjorn presented a lecture to International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 26 - the New York chapter, on April 28, 2017.  The lecture was based on sessions Bjorn had with Gene Maze, who invited Bjorn to be one of his students in the 1970s (Gene would never accept compensation), and with other magicians including Michael Skinner and Larry Jennings.  He presented and explained 10 tricks and over 25 sleights. 

• Bjorn presented a lecture to the International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 244 - The Frank Garcia Ring, on November 2, 2016, based the shows he presented during his week at The Magic Castle in January.  The lecture was reported in the February 2017 The Linking Ring. The Ring is named after Frank Garcia, and Bjorn shared stories about being a student at the Frank Garcia School for Magicians. 

• Bjorn will be presenting a magic lecture to the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Frank Garcia Ring 244, on Wednesday, November 2. This is an extra special honor because Bjorn was a student of Frank Garcia in The Frank Garcia School for Magicians. Frank was known as "The Man With Million Dollar Hands". 

• Bjorn presented four shows each night during the week of January 4 to 10, 2016 at The Magic Castle in Hollywood.  This is Bjorn's third consecutive year performing at The Magic Castle;  his first performance there was in 1989. 

• Bjorn will be re-appearing at The Magic Castle in Hollywood for 30 shows in the Close-up gallery during the week of January 4, 2016. 

• The September issue (2015) of The International Brotherhood of Magicians publication, "The Linking Ring" features an article and pictures recognizing Bjorn being bestowed with the title, "International Brotherhood of Magicians Ring 26 Magician of the Year".   

• An article by Bjorn was published in the June 2015 edition of "MAGICOL", a leading journal about magic history, "Fact Checking John Scarne's The Odds Against Me", (Page 88). 

• A feature article appeared about Bjorn's magic in The Wall Street Journal, Greater New York section, weekend edition on June 27, 2015.