Biography
Michael Tallon has been performing magic professionally for the past fourteen years and from 1996 to 2003 he was the House Magician at Lyndy's Great Indoors in San Antonio, Texas. An educated and avid student of the art, he has taught several magic courses for JCR Co's World of Magic & Fun, as well as a Beginning Magic course for the North East Independent School District Community Education Program.
Michael is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.), the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.), the Texas Association of Magicians (T.A.O.M.), and Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic (4F).
In 1997, Michael won the “Magician of the Year” contest for San Antonio Ring 18 of the I.B.M.; in 2000 he won first place in the close-up competition at the T.A.O.M. Convention in Dallas, Texas; and in 2001 he won first place in the close-up competition at the Magi-Fest in Columbus, Ohio. He has also competed in the close-up competitions at the S.A.M. National Convention (2001) and the I.B.M. International Convention (2002).
As the Secretary/Treasurer for the local I.B.M. Ring from 1998 to 2003, Michael wrote the club newsletters and Ring Reports that were featured in the organization's national magazine. He was also the 2002-2003 and 2009-2010 President of the local S.A.M. Assembly and the 2007-2008 President of Ring 18.
In 2003, Michael attended his first Fechter’s Finger Flicking Frolic Convention, an invitation-only magic convention considered to be the most prestigious close-up convention in all of magic. In April 2006, with his third performance at Fechter’s, he earned his “Ph.D. in Magic.”
In May 2006, Michael graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education. By day, Michael is a Spanish Professor at the University of the Incarnate Word (www.uiw.edu).
In the summer of 2008, for the first time in 35 years, the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians held a Combined Convention – billed as "The Spectacular Event the Magic World Has Been Waiting For!" – in Louisville, Kentucky. Approximately 1,500 magicians from all over the world attended the convention and the highlight for many was the two magic competitions: one for stage magic and one for close-up magic. Entry into the competitions was limited and determined by a panel of professional magicians. There were only 42 acts in the stage contest and only 24 acts in the close-up contest. Michael was a contestant in both the stage competition and the close-up competition -- and was a finalist in the close-up contest (one of only six acts, and one of only two acts from the United States)!
At the 2008 Texas Association of Magicians (TAOM) Convention held in Fort Worth, Texas, over the Labor Day weekend, Michael performed his new "4M" comedy routine and won first place in the comedy contest.
In June 2009, Michael was one of only eight acts selected to compete in the 2009 Austin Magic Contest, held in the studio of the world-famous Austin City Limits! Michael performed his "4M" comedy routine and won second place in the contest!
In July 2009, Michael was one of only nine acts selected to compete in the prestigious S.A.M. Stage Contest of Magic. Performing his "4M" routine, Michael walked away with two awards: the rarely-awarded Seabrooke Red Seal Comedy Award (Michael is only the fifth person in the history of the S.A.M. to win this award!) and the Brad Jacob's People's Choice Award (voted on by the 500 members of the audience)!!
In addition to performing magic, Michael also enjoys reading and playing sports.
Hailed as one of the premier sleight-of-hand experts in San Antonio, Michael Tallon's specialties are close-up magic and parlor magic -- magic dealing with ordinary objects that become part of extraordinary events, creating an impressive impact not easily forgotten!