Sivan Magen - Fantasien (2014)

Harpist Sivan Magen dazzles audiences wherever he goes with his formidable virtuosity and demonstrably perfect technique. Recorded at the famous Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, ‘Fantasien’ marks Magen’s Linn debut. The recording is a showcase of the modern concert harp demonstrating the powerful expression, dynamic range and sheer excitement this popular instrument can generate in the right hands.
Featuring transcriptions of works by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart and Brahms plus original harp compositions by the lesser known Henriette Rénie and Ekaterina Walter-Kühne, ‘Fantasien’ is united by the theme of fantasy.
Sivan Magen has recorded two previous albums, both of which received critical-acclaim; his Britten recital was listed in the New York Times’ ‘Best Recordings of 2012’.
Praised by the press as ‘a magician’ (WQXR, New York), of ‘unheard of depth of colours, range of expression and rhetorical flow’ (American Record Guide), Sivan Magen is the only Israeli to have ever won the prestigious International Harp Contest in Israel. Magen also won the Pro Musicis International Award in New York and the Borletti-Buitoni Trust’s 2012 Award for exceptional young musicians.
Magen has given solo recitals in New York (Merkin Hall, Carnegie’s Weill Hall), London (Wigmore Hall) and Amsterdam (Musiekgebouw); his chamber music commitments have taken him to Paris (Salle Gaveau) and New York (Allice Tully Hall, the Metropolitan Museum, Bargemusic), as well as several International Chamber Music festivals.