Jorge Blass on Teaching David Copperfield His Tricks
One of Europe's top illusionists, the Spanish magician has performed around the world.
I started learning magic when I was 12 years old. I love how magic can transform people. This is the most amazing thing about magic: You can transform people from being bored to happy. We create the fantasy. I did my first performance when I was 15, I was very nervous. After that, I studied psychology at university, and then I combined my studies at university with my performances.
I got a very prestigious award when I was 19 years old. It was the Golden Magic Wand of Monte Carlo. Prince Rainier presented me with the award. This was the start of my international career: I started to perform in other countries. I traveled to Las Vegas, and there I met [Las Vegas legends] Siegfried & Roy.
I kept performing and improving my magic: When I was 20 I started to perform professionally. I’m 36 now, so I’ve been doing magic professionally for 16 years. I look young because of wine—Spanish wine keeps you very young.
I’ve been to 40 countries, all over the world. But I love Madrid even more than before. I would love to come to Hong Kong to perform. It’s not planned yet, but I hope very soon I can come back with a full theater show. I’m a good friend of [Taiwanese magician] Lu Chen. I think he’s one of the greatest magicians in Asia. Maybe we can teleport to each other!
When you travel to other countries, you discover new experiences, new cultures, but I think that helps you understand how good your own country is. Madrid is amazing, and has so many things that are magical. My house is right in front of the Royal Palace, I open my window every day and I see the Palace. It’s beautiful.