Victoria Saldarini

Victoria Saldarini is the cellist of USO, combining major performance training with a recent debut album, SOLO.

Born in Como in 1999 and of Belgian origin, she began studying the cello at age 11 with Umberto Pedraglio. After her classical studies, she attended the three-year cello course at the Conservatorio “G. Verdi” in Turin and the Conservatorio “G. Verdi” in Milan, graduating with full marks in the class of Marianna Sinagra. She later earned a Master in Performance with a focus on chamber and contemporary music at the Musikhochschule di Münster, guided by Matias de Oliveira Pinto.

Her further refinement included work with Enrico Bronzi and Damiano Scarpa at the Fondazione “Santa Cecilia” in Portogruaro, Stefano Cerrato at Dedalo in Novara, and additional study with Luca Magariello at the Accademia di Musica di Pinerolo, as well as with AntonioValentino (Trio Debussy) for a two-year chamber music program at the Conservatorio di Torino.

Since 2019–2020 she was a member of the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, working under conductors including Kolja Blacher, Daniele Rustioni, Simone Bernardini and Zubin Mehta. She performs as principal cello with the Orchestra Antonio Vivaldi, and maintains a deep commitment to contemporary music through her work with Como Contemporary Festival and regular involvement with the Romberg Festival.