Harpist Sivan Magen takes pleasure in probing the outer limits of what his instrument can do, revealing sonic dimensions that depart sharply from conventional expectations. He has observed that "...just the slightest variation in how you pluck the string creates a different soundscape."
His attraction to the harp surfaced early, despite its impracticality, and he later reflected that the choice may have represented a form of rebellion against his parents, both established cellists. Piano studies began at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance, with the harp entering the picture only once physical demands became feasible. Confirmation that the harp was his true instrument arrived when, immediately after completing compulsory military service, he boarded a flight to Paris for further training. There he worked first with Germaine Lorenzini and subsequently with Isabelle Moretti at the Paris Conservatoire before relocating to New York for lessons with Nancy Allen at Juilliard.
In 2006 Magen achieved a milestone as the first Israeli laureate of the International Harp Contest in Israel across its 47-year history; the award included a Lyon & Healy harp that became his initial personally owned instrument. Four formative years at the Marlboro Music Festival followed, during which he formed lasting professional ties, among them with violist Kim Kashkashian and flutist Marina Piccinini. The trio constitutes the ensemble Tre Voci, whose self-titled album appeared on ECM in 2014. That same year Magen issued his debut solo recording, Fantasien, on the Linn label. Carnegie Hall marked the occasion by inviting him to perform and commissioning the new piece ribboned/braided/spun from Sean Shepherd. Alongside a busy concert calendar, Magen serves on the faculty of the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music.
