September 13: Valerie Hartzell opens the Second Sundays Series
Posted on 01. Sep, 2009 by AdamWallace in Art at Roger Smith, Arts, Chamber Music Series, Events, Hotel
Sunday, September 13, 2009, at 4:00 PM
Penthouse recital space of the Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Ave. at 47th St. (see map)
New York City
Co-sponsored by the New York City Classical Guitar Society and RogerSmithArts.
Tickets $15, includes wine and cheese.
For reservations, email rogersmitharts@rogersmith.com or call (212) 339-2092.
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 participated in master classes with several internationally acclaimed artists, including Ako Ito, Castellani-Andriaccio Duo, David Russell, and Elena Papandreou. In 1991, Ms. Hartzell made her debut performing Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “Concerto for guitar and orchestra” with the New Philharmonic Orchestra of Irving, Texas. She made her international debut in San Mamete, Italy at the Festival del Piccolo Mondo in August 1994. She has performed in Europe, Canada, the U.S. and has appeared on television in Nice, FR. From September 29-October 5, 2002 she toured the Carolinas which promoted her first cd, Fuoco!
She has performed in many festivals, including the ‘Close Encounters’ Voice and Guitar Festival at University of Houston (where she performed and co-directed the festival along the side of Katherine Ciesinski), the Eastfield College Guitar Festival and Competition in Mesquite, the first Classical Guitar Weekend Workshop at The Music Conservatory of Texas in Frisco, the Tennessee Festival at Middle Tennessee State University, the ECU Competition and Festival in Greenville, NC and the MANC Guitar Competition and Festival in Greensboro, NC. She has won 1st prizes at the 10th International Guitar Competition “Simone Salmaso” in Viareggio, Italy and at the Concours de Guitare Classique Heitor Villa-Lobos in Nice, France among other prizes. At the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Ms. Hartzell was awarded the highest undergraduate scholarship for the classical guitar and studied with Manuel Barrueco earning her Bachelor’s Degree in 1997. She was awarded a Graduate Teaching Fellowship at Radford University with Robert Trent and was placed as Adjunct Faculty while studying for her Master’s Degree in Music. She received her performance degree in May of 1999 and currently, she is a Professional Teacher at Moores School of Music, University of Houston and is Adjunct Faculty at the Houston Community College. She also accompanies many vocal students at both Moores School of Music, University of Houston and at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University.
She keeps an active solo career and works in a professional duo with soprano Sandra Johnson, as Duo Athena and frequently is a judge at international competitions throughout the United States (St. Joseph International Competition, Texas Guitar Competition, East Carolina University International Competition, the Eastfield Guitar Competition, the ‘Classical Minds’ Guitar Competition, and the MANC Guitar Competition). Many of her private students have placed and won national and international competitions. Also, her private students have been accepted on scholarship to Schwob School of Music (University of Columbus), San Francisco Conservatory, University of North Texas in Denton, University of Texas at San Antonio, and Texas State University at San Marcos.
Valerie Hartzell is the creator and Director of the “Classical Minds” Guitar Festival and Competition at Moores School of Music, University of Houston and is the director of the Greater Houston Guitar Guild.
For more information, visit our website at nyccgs.org . I look forward to seeing you at these events!
John Olson, President
