Sergio Patria, a leading name on the international cello scene both in concert and teaching, made his debut as a soloist with the Orchestra della Radio Svizzera Italiana at the age of 16. He graduated with full marks from the Conservatory of Alessandria with Roveda, subsequently perfecting his skills with Navarra at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, and Baldovino and Selmi at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He was principal cellist with the Bogotá Symphony Orchestra, and then collaborated with the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia in Rome and as principal cello at the Stadttheater in Lucerne, where he was subsequently invited to be a member of the prestigious orchestra of the Internationalen Musikfestwochen Luzern for several years. In 1974 he won the Migros Prize (Zürich) for Chamber Music. He has taught cello at the Conservatory of San Cristóbal (Venezuela), at the Conservatory of the Colombian National University, at the Conservatory and Municipal School of Lucerne, at the Conservatory of Alessandria, at the Saluzzo School of Higher Education, at the orchestral training courses in Lanciano and at the professional training courses run by the I.R.Fo.P. Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia. From 1977 to 2007, he taught at Turin Conservatory, where he held the position of principal cello at the Teatro Regio from 1974 to 1999. He is a connoisseur and populariser of Alexander Technique. As a soloist, he has played under the guidance of important conductors, including Ahronovitch, Chailly, Costin, Caduff, Beer, Horvat, Lorant, Martinotti, Peiretti, Zigante, Villaret and Szmolji. He has performed and continues to perform in Italy, and abroad in the main concert halls of Romania, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Albania, England, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, China, Colombia, Venezuela, the United States. Since 1987 he has been playing in a duo with pianist and wife Elena Ballario. He has worked with fellow instrumentalists on an international level, as well as recognised theatre actors such as Ugo Pagliai, Nando Gazzolo, Pamela Villoresi and Paola Gassman on music and poetry projects. He has recorded the complete trios by Wolf-Ferrari for Brilliant Classics; the Trio Op. 50 by Tchaikovsky and Trio No. 1 by Rachmaninov for Dynamic; the Trios Op. 99 and Op. 100 by Schubert, and music by Franck, Debussy and Schmitt for Odradek; the Sonata for cello and piano by Carlo Rossaro for Tactus; and the chamber music of Alberic Magnard for Brilliant.
