Bio

I've been playing classical guitar for over 40 years. I have degrees from York University and the University of Toronto. I was a high school music teacher for 30 years, but I am now focusing on performing.  In the past, my ongoing engagements included Des Copains, The Vineyard, L'Entrecotte, Pirendello's, the Townhouse Cafe, Sundance Artisan Festival, Fall River Restaurant, Spill the Beanz, Best Western and the Cove.  I have performed at venues such as C.B.C. Television and Radio, TV Ontario, York University, University of Toronto, A Space, The Music Gallery and the National Archives,  I have also been the musical director for various musical theatre productions.

Of course, over the years, I have also provided the music for numerous wedding ceremonies and receptions, as well as for special events. I will travel anywhere but particularly in the area bounded by Peterborough to Ottawa, and Pembroke to Kingston. 

Although I get paid for what I do, the primary focus is my love of music. I do not record nor do videos. I charge a simple hourly rate which is more about the drive to the venue, than the performance.    Claudio Valentini Classical Guitarist - Division

Claudio Valentini Classical Guitarist - Division

Playlist

I am always adding to my playlist, and I can accommodate you if your choice of musical selection is not on the list. (I will require some lead time to find, or write an arrangement). I can also compose something unique to your event.

Popular - Contemporary

Andrew Lloyd Weber
            Dont Cry for Me Argentina
            I Dont Know How to Love Him
Beatles
            And I Love Her

            Blackbird
            Eleanor Rigby
            Here Comes the Sun
            Here There and Everywhere
            Imagine

            In My Life
            Michelle

            Norwegian Wood
            When Im Sixty Four
            While my Guitar Gently Weeps

            Yesterday
Cat Stevens
            Father and Son
            Morning Has Broken
Five for Fighting
            One Hundred Years
            Superman
Lionel Richie
            Endless Love
            Hello
Simon and Garfunkel
            Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Scott Joplin
            The Entertainer

            Maple Leaf Rag
Sting
            Every Breath You Take
            Fields of Gold


Other Popular

 All I Have To Do Is Dream - Bryant (Everly Brothers) 
 Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell

 Brahms Lullaby
 Can't Help Falling in Love - Martini (Elvis Presley)

 Classical Gas - Mason Williams
 Con Te Partiro – (Andrea Bocelli) Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto
 El Condor Pasa - Robles
 
Fire and Rain - James Taylor
 Halleluiah – Leonard Cohen
 If it's Magic - Stevie Wonder
 I Think it’s Going to Rain Today - Randy Newman
 I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton
 Kiss From a Rose - Seal
 Lean on Me -Bill Withers

 Let it Be Me - Becaud
 Oh Danny Boy - Weatherly
 Perfect -  Ed Sheeran
 Perhaps Love -  John Denver
 Petite Etude - Rik Emmett (Triumph)
 Return to Sorento - Ernesto De Curtis and Giambattista De Curtiss
 Stairway to Heaven-Robert Plant & Jimmy Page
 Stand by Me - King, Leiber, Stoller
 Tears in Heaven- Eric Clapton
 Tennessee Waltz - Stewart/King

 The Rose - Mcbroom
 Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce
 Unchained Melody - (Righteous Brothers)   Alex North, Hy Zaret
 Vincent - Don Maclean
 When a Man Loves a Woman - Lewis/Wright

 When you Say Nothing at All - Ronan Keating (Alison Krauss)
 Whiter Shade of Pale - (Procol Harem) - Gary Brooker, K. Reid and M.Fisher
 Will the Circle be Unbroken - Gabriel
 You've Got a Friend -  Carole King
 Your Song - Elton John, Bernie Taupin

Traditional

Amazing Grace Blues - Trad.

America the Beautiful - Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward
Auralee (Love me Tender) - W. W. Fosdickand and George R. Poulton
Due Guitar - Anonymous
God Save the Queen
Scarborough Fair - Anonymous
Star Spangled Banner – Keys

Event Music
i.e. Wedding Music, Happy Birthday, Christmas Carols

 
Jazz - Film

Always With Me - Miyazaki (Spirited Away) 
Amapola - Lacalle (Once Upon a Time in America)
As Time Goes By - Hepfeld (Casablanca)
At Last - Mack Gordon  (Sun Valley Serenade, Etta James)    
Autumn Leaves - Johnny Mercer
Besame Mucho - Consuelo Velazquez
Blue Moon - Rodgers and Hart
Deborah’s Theme – Morricone (Once Upon a Time in America)
Dream a Little Dream of Me - Andre, Kahn, Schwandt

Georgia on my Mind - Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell
Glasgow Love Theme - Armstrong (Love Actually)
In the Mood - Glen Miller, Garland

Antonio Carlos Jobim
        Felicidade - (Black Orpheus)
        Solidao
        Wave
James Horner
        My Heart Will Go On - (Titanic)
        Somewhere Out There - (An American Tail)
Les Champs-Elysees - Wilshaw/ Deighan

Manha De Carneval - Louis Bonfa (Black Orpheus)
My Funny Valentine - Rodgers and Hart (Babes in Arms) 
Nino Rota        
        Godfather Waltz
        Time for Us (Romeo and Juliet)

        Speak Softly Love (The Godfather)
        Godfather II Theme

O Che Sera - Chico Barque (The Foreigner)
Over the Rainbow - Harold Arlen and Edgar Harburg (Wizard of Oz)
Playing Love - Morricone (Legend of 1900)
Por Una Cabeza - Carlos Gardel (Scent of a Woman, True Lies)
Send in the Clowns - Seven Sondheim (A Little Night Music)

Someone to Watch Over Me - Gershwin (Oh Kay)
Summertime -George Gershwin and Edwin DuBose Heyward (Porgy and Bess)
Smile - Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times)
Smiling - Harry Gregson-Williams (Man on Fire and Omega Watch Commercial)
Smiling Variations - Valentini
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Jerome Kern (Roberta)
Spanish Romance - Anonymous (Forbidden Games)
Sunrise Sunset -  Jerry Bock (Fiddler on the Roof)
Take Five - Paul Desmond
This Masquerade - Leon Russell
What a Wonderful World - George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
What’ll I Do - Irving Berlin (Great Gatsby, Butcher’s Wife)
When I Fall In Love - Victor Young and Edward Heyman
When You Wish Upon a Star - Washington and Harline (Pinocchio)
 
Brazilian - Spanish - Cuban

Albeniz - Asturias (Leyenda)
Brower - Une Dia de Noviembre
Lauro - Venezuelan Waltz #2
Morel - Danza Brazilera
Baden Powell
            Alcantara
            Canto De Ossanha
            Retrato Braziliero
Rodrigo - Concerto Aranjuez (Solo Transcription)
Spanish Medley Improvisation (Various)
Tarrega
            Capricho Arabe

            Receurdos D’Alhambra
            Prelude VI
Turina - Homage a Tarrega - Solearas
Villa Lobos
            Choros Typicos #1
            Concerto 1st Movement Excerpt
            Concerto 2nd Movement - A
            Concerto 2nd Movement - B
            Prelude 1
            Prelude 2
            Prelude 3
            Prelude 4
            Prelude 5
Violeta Parra - Gracias a la Vida

(See above for more 
Brazilian - Spanish - Cuban included in 'Film' )

Classical - Baroque - Romantic

Albinoni - Adagio
Beethoven
            Fur Elise

            Joyful Joyful
            Pathetique
Brahms
            Lullaby

            Waltz Op39
Carulli - Slur Study
Debussy - Clair de Lune
Delibes - Flower Duet

Faure - Pavane
Guiliani - Alegretto
Handel - Sarabande
Mozart
            Minuet - KV525
            Piano Sonata In A
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition Promenade
Pachelbel - Canon
Purcell - Requiem
Satie - Gymnopedies #1
Franz Schubert
            Ave Maria
                   
Ferdinand Sor
            Etude - A minor
            Etude - A minor 2
            Andantino
            Etude - B minor
            Etude - B minor (Prol)
            Etude - D major
            Etude - E minor
            Etude - E minor 2
Stanley - Invenzione
Vivaldi
            Four Seasons - Autumn
            Four Seasons - Spring
            D+ Concerto

Rennaissance -Anonymous - Traditional


            Auld Lang Syne
            Coventry Carol

            Greensleeves
            House of the Rising Sun
            Huron Carol

            Pezzo Tedesco
            Rennaissance Pavane 1
            Rennaissance Pavane 2
            Rennaissance Pavane 3
            Russian Etude
            Saltarello
            Scarborough Fair - Anonymous
            Skye Boat Song - Traditional Celtic
            Wild Mountain Thyme - Traditional Scottish

Milan
            Pavanne
            Pavanne 2
            Pavanne 3

Bach

Air on a G String
Cello Suite 1
            Allemande
            Courante
            Gigue
            Minuet 1
            Minuet 2
            Prelude
            Sarabande
Cello Suite 6
            Gavotte I
            Gavotte II
            Sarabande
Chaconne - Excerpt
Chorales
            O Sacred Head Now Wounded
            Be Thou with Me
            God the Father Dwell with Us
            Now All the Forest Are At Rest
            May God Be Merciful To Us
Goldberg Variations Aria
Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
Lute Suite 1
            Allemande
            Bouree
Minuet in G minor
Sheep May Safely Graze
Sleepers Awake
Violin Suite 3 Gavotte and Rondo

Valentini

 Various original compositions  

Claudio Valentini Classical Guitarist - Division

Reviews

Claudio,

Just a note to tell you how absolutely amazing your playing was at our wedding! Not only was the quality of your playing superb, but your repertoire is so extensive that you took it upon yourself to entertain and enthrall our guests during the unanticipated delays in our ceremony.  I don’t have the words to describe how much your performance  added to our special day, except that you made it even more special. Thank you! Kudos!

AW


Dear Claudio

I was a guest at ... 50th wedding anniversary gathering this afternoon. I just wanted to tell you that your contribution to this very special gathering
was exquisite! I loved every minute of your performance. I meant to tell you in person but kept getting distracted by chats with dear friends. And then you were gone. But I couldn’t let the day pass without letting you know how much I appreciated the honour of listening to your performance. My 2 personal favourites were A Day in the Life of a Fool but for the life of me I cannot recall who made that song famous. The other was Don McLean’s Vincent. But everything you performed was delicious.

Thank you so much for making a very special day so “classy”!

GR

Hi Claudio,

Thank you so much for this lovely note, and for the beautiful music yesterday. It was so great to finally get to meet and hear you play in person. The guitar was absolutely beautiful and so much lovelier than we ever could have imagined, it really made the day magical. Everyone cannot stop talking about how beautiful the guitar was and our vendors all loved working with you (especially our DJ).

Thank you again,

S&M


About the Classical Guitar

For those of you not familiar with the Classical Guitar, this is a brief description.

The classical guitar is a hollow body, figure eight shaped instrument, with nylon-like strings, and a wide neck, usually unamplified, played with the right hand fingernails. Classical guitarists read standard musical notation like other classical musicians. Playing with the fingernails makes possible a varied tone, block chords, and special effects. There is no singing involved, (although it can be used as accompaniment), and is usually played solo.

The music played on a classical guitar can be grouped into 3 categories:

1. Music written specifically for the classical guitar. Many composers have specialized in creating music for this instrument. i.e. Villa Lobos

2. Music transcribed or adapted from another instrument such as piano, cello or violin. Sometimes this results in a compromise, but sometimes the result is even better on the classical guitar. i.e. Leyenda

3. Pop and Jazz. This music must consist of the melody, (what one would sing), the harmony (the chords a rhythm guitarist would play), and the riffs in the piece, (those bits that make the song immediately recognizable).

The guitarist will then add his or her own individual approach to each of these categories. This can consist of everything from a unique interpretation of the piece, to playing a piece in a totally different style than it was originally written in. YouTube is an excellent resource for listening to many classical guitarists, (playing many of the pieces above).  

Claudio Valentini Classical Guitarist - Division

Rates


I bill a simple rate of $50 per hour for my time, including not only performances, but also travel time from and to my home in Ardoch, as well as rehearsals, writing arrangements, meeting with you, required times to be at your venue, setting up, etc. I will give you an estimate after getting your requirements. A deposit may be required. I will provide my own sound system if required.

Sometimes unfortunately I get requests to play at locations which are hours away. Although I'm quite willing to do this, it may not be cost effective for you, especially for a short performance.
 Claudio Valentini Classical Guitarist - Division

Please contact me to book directly, or you may book through GigSalad with the form below.

Last Updated 08/17/24

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