Luis de Matos (born 23 August 1970, full name Luis Manuel Curcialeiro Godinho de Matos)[1] is a
Portuguesemagician. He has been called “the best known illusionist in Portugal”[1] and was the co-winner of the "
Golden Grolla" in 2013 alongside
Lu Chen and
Dynamo.[2]
He was the youngest magician ever to receive "The Devant Award" from
The Magic Circle (October 19, 2013).[3]
He had his first guest appearances on television in 1990; two years later, he hosted his own television series entitled "Isto é Magia!" ("This is Magic").[2] This was followed by several other successful TV magic shows.[1]
In 1995 Luis de Matos predicted the winning numbers of Portugal’s national lottery one week's time in advance and, as one journalist put it, went overnight “from being ‘the cute kid who does tricks’ into the
David Copperfield of Portugal.”[4]
In the following years, he won several international prizes such as the "Magician of the year" (Hollywood
Academy of Magical Arts − 1999) and the “Mandrake d’or” (French Society of Magicians − 2000).[2]
In 2003, he was asked to cooperate in preparing the opening ceremony for the
Estádio do Dragão in
Porto. During that ceremony, he had bags with pieces of blue silk distributed to the audience and asked them to hold the pieces aloft simultaneous. Then, he made all the some 52,000 pieces of silk vanish, a trick that entered the
Guinness Book of Records.[4]
Luis de Matos has made appearances and started as a regular in TV shows worldwide like "Shalakabula" in Spain,
BBC”The Magicians”, and its latest Spanish version
“Por Arte de Magia”.[5] He had a program for ten years on
TVG.[1]
In 2010, in collaboration with
David Britland and
Marco Tempest, Luis de Matos organized The Essential Magic Conference, at that time the first online magic conference.[2] His most ambitious project to date is the creation of ESTÚDIO33 in Ansião, at the same time a TV studio, workshop, documentation center, and museum.[1]
Luis de Matos "Special Fellowship Award" by the Hollywood
Academy of Magical Arts, April 2013.
In 2013 Luis de Matos receives in Los Angeles, his third award by the Hollywood
Academy of Magical Arts, the “Special Fellowship Award."[6]
Luís de Matos also organizes “Street Magic Festivals”, occurring every year in Portugal, where he brings performers from all over the world.[7]
Television
1990. First professional appearance on
RTP1 Christmas Special ('Natal dos Hospitais') as the ceremony's host.
1991. Hosts a ten-minute spot on a morning show called 'Espaço Mágico' (13 episodes) on RTP1.
1992. Writes and hosts 'Isto é Magia' ('This is Magic') series (40 episodes) on RTP1.
1991. Participates as game show host on 'Caça ao Tesouro' ('Treasure Hunt') for 96 episodes on RTP1.
1992. Writes and hosts 'Isto é Magia' ('This is Magic') (26 episodes) on RTP1.
1994. Writes and hosts 'Noite Mágica' ('Magic Night') (26 episodes) on RTP1.
1999. "A Magia de Luis de Matos" ("Luis de Matos Magic"/"Mobile Theatre Tour") - first national tour (
Portugal), 45 cities, 245 shows took place in a special venue created and designed by Luis de Matos called “Teatro Móvel” ("Mobile Theatre").