Peter Samelson insists that he doesn’t do magic; he only helps people to see it. He is an
illusionist/entertainer/philosopher, blending simplicity and sophistication as he provokes thought
and inspires wonder.
Christened “the soft-spoken conceptualist of sorcery” by the New York Times, Peter has
distinguished himself not only as a magician, but as an artist. After his Performance on Penn &
Teller’s Fool Us, Penn called him “One of the greatest living magicians.” A recipient of the Leslie
P. Guest Award (S.A.M. 2017), the Jack Gwynne Award for Excellence in Presentation (Abbott’s
Get-Together, August 2015), Honorary Brother and Guest Lecturer (The Artworkers’
Guild [London] 2014), and a Merlin Award for Lifetime Achievement (IMS 2014), he has
performed atop the Great Wall of China, for Grand Prix drivers, Princess Stephanie of Monaco,
the jet-set of Paris and the fishermen mending their nets on the beaches of Cartagena.
Peter also designs for TV, film and theater. He created magic for Sam Mendes productions at
BAM and the Old Vic (London) and for two Broadway shows, Leap of Faith and Harvey. He has
also created and starred in three critically acclaimed Off-Broadway shows; The Magician,
PaperWork and Radnevsky’s Real Magic.