Born in Caracas, Venezuela, from an Italian family of musicians, Barbara has pursued a life-long career as a piano teacher and concert pianist.
Alumni of the Juan Manuel Olivares Conservatory, Barbara graduated as Piano Professor under the guidance of Prof. Gerty Haas.
Later, she moved to Philadelphia where she graduated at the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts (currently the University of the Arts) with the famous concert pianist Susan Starr.
Barbara has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including Orquesta Filarmónica de Caracas, Orquesta Sinfónica de Maracaibo, New England Youth Orchestra and Symphony of the Americas, who became her sponsor in the US.
She has participated in various radio and television programs and performed in countries around the world, including Venezuela, the United States, Italy, Spain, France and Greece.
In 1990, she met in Italy the Argentinean pianist Laura Helman, who became her dear friend and together they founded the Laura Helman – Barbara Salani Piano Duo.
http://www.duohelmansalani.com/
The duo has appeared in various Italian and European locations, obtaining a wide range of audience praise and critical acclaim.
In 2015, Barbara moved to Florida, USA, where she has been performing as soloist in recitals, as well as in two pianos and orchestra concerts with her brother, in the Barbara & Sergio Salani Piano Duo. Their performances have attracted the attention, approval and enthusiasm of critics and audiences alike.
As a piano teacher, Barbara is very esteemed as demonstrated by awards and student outcomes.
She has recently been appointed coordinator of Musicfor, a musical education project organized at Broward County’s Boys and Girls Club. Musicfor is an international association founded in Switzerland for the support and development of music teaching in the disadvantaged areas of the world. Musicfor gives thousands of children the opportunity to move closer to music, expanding their perception of the world and gaining valuable new perspectives on life.
In 2017 Barbara wrote and published a book entitled Music for Life, (Una Vita per la Musica, translated in Italian and Una Vida para la Música translated in Spanish by the author) the result of years of research into the last century of her family’s history.
The book tracks the story of her father Giulio and his brother, Renato, through their life adventures, first during their younger years in WWII and later in their musical careers through Europe and in Venezuela, sharing their talents and joy for music with all kinds of audiences.