Fanfare Magazine says: "Hartzell very obviously loves her instrument and the music she plays on it…[she] proves herself to be a master at creating moods…"

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 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, and at the Rothko Chapel for the Menil Community Arts Festival. 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, The Charlotte Guitar Society, Arizona State University, Austin Classical Guitar Society, Appalachian University, Texas State University, the Elon Guitar Society, Auburn University, Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Svenska Margaretakyrkan in Oslo, Norway, at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and through the Performing Arts Society of Kenai in Soldotna, Alaska. 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, an all-women’s classical guitar trio which was founded in 2010. Presti has performed at the Muse Recital Series (Columbia, SC), Central Florida State (Orlando, FL), the Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, FL), Fort Worth Guitar Guild Music Festival, the Annual Classical Guitar Fall Festival (Oneonta, NY), the Seventh Annual Guitar Orchestra Festival (Plano, TX), and the 'Classical Minds' Guitar Institute and Competition (Houston,TX).

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, University of Louisville, University of Louisville, 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. Currently, Valerie lives in Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK. Her CD, Ex Tenebris...Lux was released in 2011 through Soundset Recordings and her second recording with Presti, was released in September 2013. Ms. Hartzell plays a Greg Byers Guitar.

Barbara Christian, President of the Performing Arts Society in Kenai, Alaska: “A mesmerizing evening of virtuoso classical guitar: Valerie Hartzell is one with the guitar and the world classics she translates to her rapt audience; there is no barrier between the exquisitely rendered music and the listener.”