Steven IoselevIoselev is pronounced yo-so-liv.

Magician. Illusionist. Master of Controlled Chaos.

I’ve spent most of my life entertaining people. I’ve performed on hundreds of stages, worked alongside some extraordinary performers, and learned that the most memorable moments often happen when there’s no stage at all.

Sometimes they happen across a table. Sometimes in a crowded bar. Sometimes in a hotel lobby, when someone who was simply passing through suddenly finds themselves watching something they can’t explain.

I’m Steven Ioselev, a Portland-based magician specializing in close-up magic, sleight of hand, and theatrical illusion.

Some of my most valuable education came from spending two years as a pitchman.

Being a pitchman teaches you things that no rehearsal ever could. You learn to capture the attention of complete strangers, hold a crowd, think on your feet, and recognize exactly when you’re losing someone. You learn to read faces, anticipate reactions, and adjust your presentation while you’re giving it. And you do it over and over, until those skills become second nature.

Those years shaped the performer I am today.

My education continued behind the scenes, working closely with professional magic creators and builders. I’ve spent countless hours learning the mechanics of illusion, developing effects, and understanding the craftsmanship that goes into making something impossible appear effortless.

I’ve worked with everything from ordinary playing cards to full-scale stage illusions. That experience gave me an appreciation for both the simplest sleight of hand and the engineering behind grand theatrical magic.

But performing has always been where I belong.

I love the unpredictability of a live audience. The laughter. The skepticism. The moment someone realizes that whatever they thought was about to happen, they were completely wrong.

My performances combine technical sleight of hand, humor, audience participation, and a healthy appreciation for the absurd. Whether I’m entertaining a handful of people at a private gathering or an entire theater, I want every audience to feel like they’re experiencing something that belongs to them.

There’s another side to my work, too. I call it The Aratec, the Master of Controlled Chaos. It’s where my love of theatrical spectacle, strange ideas, and the unexpected gets a little more room to play.

I’ve dedicated a significant part of my life to the art of magic, and I’m still finding new things to love about it.

Especially the look on someone’s face when the impossible happens right in front of them.

Let’s make something memorable.

Available for private events, corporate entertainment, strolling magic, and theatrical performances in Portland and beyond.

Go check out my MagicPedia entry! Steven Ioselev on MagicPedia