Silvan

Silvan
Cover of Genii 1964 February
Born	Aldo G. Savoldello 1937 Venice Italy

Silvan (b.1937), the son of a Venice Police Chief, became an international renowned magician, writer, and magical inventor.

Biography

He became interested in magic in his teens and won a magician's amateur competition on Italian television in 1955. Starting with a manipulation act, he moved on to mentalism and then a full evening show. He reached international fame before his 20th birthday, which led to him insuring his hands for one million dollars with Lloyds of London.

Silvan appeared on the weekly Italian television show, Sim-Salabim. He performed at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas for two years in the early 1960s. By that time he was also presenting a dove act and began inventing new effects such as his levitating dove which he developed in 1973.

Another of his inventions is Zig-Zag 4, which was his version of Robert Harbin's illusion cutting a girl up into four sections rather than the usual three designed in 1980. He was the first to present Ken Whitaker's new Shadow Vision stage illusion which he called "The Body".

Silvan received an Honorary MIMC from the Magic Circle in 1996, which was presented to him by President David Berglas.

Awards

• Academy of Magical Arts Magician of the Year 1990
• Academy of Magical Arts Magician of the Year 1999

Books

• Arte Magica (1977)