Valerie Hartzell began her classical guitar studies on a half-size Ramirez at the age of three. At the age of six, she studied with maestro Alexandre Lagoya at the Académie Internationale d’Eté in Nice, France.
She has performed in Europe, Canada, the U.S. and has appeared on television in Nice, France. From September 29 to October 5, 2002 she toured the Carolinas which promoted her first cd, Fuoco! She has performed in many festivals, including the Eastfield College Guitar Festival and Competition in Mesquite, the Tennessee Festival at MTSU, the East Carolina University (ECU) Competition and Festival in Greenville, NC, the MANC Guitar Competition Festival in Greensboro, NC, the Pennsylvania Academy of Music Festival where she shared the stage with Eliot Fisk, Guitaromania in Agen, France, at the Annual Classical Guitar Fall Festival in Oneonta, NY with Presti, ‘Classical Minds’ Guitar Institute and Competition as part of the Texas Music Festival in Houston, TX (both as soloist and with Presti), and at the Fort Worth Guitar Guild Music Festival at the Museum of Modern Art with Presti. Valerie was featured in the 2010 ChamberArt Music Festival in Madrid, Spain where she was a featured soloist in a six concert tour. This included performances in Madrid’s Ateneo Theater, Calatravas Cathedral and the Nicolas Salmerón Culture Center.
Valerie has also performed as a guest soloist for the New York City Classical Guitar Society, the Troubadour Series at Wofford College (both as a soloist and with Presti), The Charlotte Guitar Society, Arizona State University, Appalachian State University, Texas State University, the Elon Guitar Society, Auburn University, Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Philadelphia Guitar Society, Svenska Margaretakyrkan in Oslo, Norway, University of Alaska at Anchorage, Peck School of the Arts, and at the Muse Recital Series in Columbia, SC with Presti. Valerie has also performed with studio members of the Houston Grand Opera at the Rienzi Recital Series, Fantasia para un getilhombre by Joaquin Rodrigo with the Kingwood Pops Orchestra and Carols of the Southwest by Conrad Susa with the Houston Chamber Choir at Chapel of the Villa de Matel. She is also a member of Presti (Olga Amelkina-Vera, Valerie Hartzell, Lynn McGrath), an all-women’s classical guitar trio which was founded in 2010.
She was a prizewinner at the Portland Guitar Competition, the ECU Competition and Festival, and the Appalachian Guitar Festival and Competition. She has won 1st prizes at the 10th International Guitar Competition “Simone Salmaso” in Italy and at the Concours de Guitare Classique Heitor Villa-Lobos in France.
At the Peabody Conservatory, Valerie studied with Manuel Barrueco on scholarship earning her Bachelor’s Degree in 1997. She was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship at Radford University and was placed as Adjunct Faculty while studying for her Master’s Degree in Music, receiving her performance degree in May of 1999.
As a private instructor, her students have received scholarships to prominent universities, such as University of Texas, Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, Southwestern University, Texas State University, and University of North Texas. Many of her students have won national competitions or placed in international competitions such as the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America.
Valerie is the creator and Director of the "Classical Minds" Guitar Institute and Competition as part of the Texas Music Festival at Moores School of Music, University of Houston.
Her CD, "Ex Tenebris...Lux", recorded at the NPR studios in Houston, was released in 2011 through Soundset Recordings. Her second CD, also recorded at the NPR studios, is Presti’s debut recording (‘Presti’) and was released in September of 2013.
Ms. Hartzell plays a Greg Byers Guitar.