Rich DiSilvio

Rich DiSilvio (born in New York, USA) is an author, artist, new media developer, and administrator with many years experience in the construction industry.

As an author, Rich is noted for his historical novels and thrillers as well as nonfiction, while his art and new media work has appeared in numerous mediums, from print and web to multimedia. His creative work in the music and entertainment field includes projects for James Cameron's "The Lost Tomb of Jesus", "The War Zone," "Operation Valkyrie," "Monty Python: Almost the Truth," "Celebrity Mole," and many others. His album cover art for the music industry can be seen at major music stores, such as CD Universe, Amazon.com [1] and others. DiSilvio has written magazine articles for Primo, Italian America, and other publications, as well as several books as outlined below.

Biography

After graduating college, having majored in Mechanical Technology and Advertising, DiSilvio studied under Harold Stevenson, a protégé of Norman Rockwell, at the The Stevenson Academy of Fine Arts. With a background in industrial arts, however, DiSilvio embarked upon a career in construction, whereby he founded Creative Design Contractors and worked on upscale projects on Long Island and Manhattan, as well as on standard renovations.

DiSilvio briefly returned to college and simultaneously entered the advertising and design field by founding Digital Vista, inc. He was interviewed by The New York Times regarding his web services.[2] Under the umbrella of Digital Vista, DiSilvio pioneered, programmed, and developed the Autism Academy interactive software, along with a full spectrum of creative advertising and illustrative works for book publishers and the music and entertainment industries, such as those listed on Artist Direct.[3] His fine art has been sold on prints and giclees on canvas.

DiSilvio has written several books. The first was a robust work of nonfiction entitled The Winds of Time: An Analytical Study of the Titans Who Shaped Western Civilization which took over four and a half years to write. This was followed by three novels; "Liszt's Dante Symphony," "A Blazing Gilded Age," and "My Nazi Nemesis," the latter two receiving 5-star review awards from Readers' Favorite. My Nazi Nemesis:[4] A Blazing Gilded Age:[5]

Illustrative & Animated works

The Winds of Time written by Rich DiSilvio. Cover art by Rich DiSilvio

Rich DiSilvio's illustrative work can be found on many advertising pieces for numerous clients in various fields, from publishers to insurance companies to politicians and historical documentaries, such as his animated promo for Operation Valkyrie [6] His work has also adorned the projects of star celebrities such as Pink Floyd, Yes, The Moody Blues, Rolling Stones, Yngwie Malmsteen, Cher, Alice Cooper, Crowbar, Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and many other performers.

He has done music related projects for Sony/BMG, Eagle Rock Entertainment, Koch/eOne Entertainment, and other labels. His illustration and animation skill sets were utilized to conceive and develop creative animated advertisements, such as his surreal landscape of pyramids on the moon for Pink Floyd's classic album DVD release.[7] DiSilvio has also illustrated fantasy and sci-fi book covers, such as the Clark Ashton Smith series for Wildside Press, "Sam’s Quest for the Crimson Crystal," as well as fine art prints and giclees on canvas that range from traditional/contemporary to ultra-surreal in style.

Literary & Other works

As an author, DiSilvio has written about Western civilization in "The Winds of Time". This epic tome is a chronological study of the titans who shaped Western history. It includes such personalities as Plato, Aristotle, Julius Caesar, Augustus, Nero, Jesus, Paul the Apostle, Irenaeus, Hadrian, Constantine I, Dante Alighieri, Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Gutenberg, Christopher Columbus, Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Hitler, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Guglielmo Marconi, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Ronald Reagan, and many more.

DiSilvio's first novel followed. "Liszt's Dante Symphony" is a historical thriller that weaves two separate stories, whereby covering the belligerent rise of Germany from Otto Von Bismarck to Adolf Hitler. Franz Liszt utilizes his score of the Dante Symphony as a cipher to relay secret messages to aid Napoleon III and Pope Pius IX, along with the aid of his team of spies, code named the Altar Eagles. The mysterious story line cascades over into the twentieth century thread, which features the protagonist, Angelo Di Purezza Jr., who teams up with Albert Einstein to solve the mystery of his father's death (who was a fellow spy of Liszt's), but finds himself ensnared in deadly intrigue, which leads him straight into the infernal caldron of Hitler's hellish Third Reich.

"A Blazing Gilded Age" is a historical novel that vividly captures the gilded age in all its rich golden tones of innovation, progress, and grand opulence, as well as its dark and disturbing undertones of slave-driven laborers maligned by a capitalist system, one fueled by greed and unhampered by rules or regulations. It is a searing expose of how and why capitalism was under sharp attack by those trampled under foot, like the Wozniak family of coal miners, as well as revealing the corruption that plagued the political system. However, it likewise lauds the innovative American spirit, for it was also a time when America rose from an agrarian backwater to become an industrial and military powerhouse that took a firm stance on the world stage.

"My Nazi Nemesis" is a fast-paced thriller set between the horrors of Nazi Germany and Cold War tensions, as the hunt for justice entangles Jack, Alois, Veronika, and Eleanor in a twisted plot, one packed with action, suspense, and intrigue, while being counterbalanced with ample doses of history, culture, and humor. It received Readers' Favorite 5-star awards from five separate reviewers, and has charted on Amazon's Top 100 Best Selling kindle list under Historical Thrillers.

Rich also authored two middle grade/high school books; "Meet My Famous Friends" and "Danny and the DreamWeaver." Each contain whimsical yet edifying characters, such as Michelanjello, Hippopotamus Bosch, Queen Elizardbreath, Nostrildamus, and Susan Bee Anthony.

DiSilvio's books are available in major book stores, including Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Kobo, Smashwords etc.

His interest in classical music led to the creation of websites about the famous pianist/composer Franz Liszt and Peter Tchaikovsky.

As a new media developer, DiSilvio conceived, programmed, and published an interactive educational CD-ROM on autism, which was released on October 19, 1999.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Amazon - (Re) Union Yes Album
  2. ↑ NY Times interview
  3. ↑ Artist Direct
  4. ↑ My Nazi Nemesis
  5. ↑ A Blazing Gilded Age
  6. ↑ Operation Valkyrie DVD Promo
  7. ↑ Pink Floyd animated promo
  8. ↑ autismacademy.com - Autism Academy CD-ROM in NEWSDAY Jamie Talan column, Newsday October 19, 1999
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.