“I did not grow up with a magic kit,” said Salta, a third-year entrepreneurship major in the dual-degree (3+1) business program at Quinnipiac. “I knew a couple of tricks from my grandfather when I was young. In high school, I got a hip injury playing lacrosse and was immobilized. I had extra time, and I could move my hands, so I worked on magic.”

Salta’s first unofficial magic show took place at a high school football game.

“After about 10 minutes of doing tricks, I looked up, and everyone had stopped watching the game and started cheering my name,” he said. “It was amazing.”

Salta’s career has certainly grown from there. He will perform a show for the Quinnipiac community on March 31 at 7 p.m. at On the Rocks pub on the York Hill Campus before embarking on a one-year gig with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.

Salta, who is available for interviews, will be part of a new show called “Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil,” which is billed as a “cocktail of high-flying acrobatics, music, dance, comedy and magic celebrating the city that never sleeps.”

“Mad Apple” begins May 12 at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino.

Salta, who has performed live on stage with Michael Carbonaro and a past winner of Connecticut's Got Talent, said the Cirque show is a dream come true.

“The job description basically described exactly what I do,” he said. “They were looking for a young street magician with a New York vibe. I thought it was fake. It sounded too good to be true.”

Salta will leave for Vegas to begin rehearsals in early April. He will continue taking courses online and plans to graduate with his bachelors in May, and complete his MBA online next year.
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“Quinnipiac's 3+1 Entrepreneurship Program has not only provided me with the knowledge and support to fuel my goals but encourages students not to wait to pursue their passions,” he said.

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