Born in Bari, she began the study of music at a very young age, integrating her classical studies with regular classes of Piano, Organ and Organ Composition at the “Niccolò Piccinni” Conservatoire of Bari.
Graduated with distinction in Piano, under the prestigious guidance of Michele Marvulli , at Conservatory of Bari, highly significant for her education and success they were also the esteems earned from great artists such as Franco Ferrara, Aldo Ferraresi, Lazar Bermann, Aldo Ciccolini, Noretta Conci Leech and particularly Nino Rota who appointed her as full-time piano teacher. Her concert activity as a solo pianist has taken her to perform in many Italian and foreign cities, with widespread success among the public. She also boasts an intense piano activity within various chamber music formations (duo, trio, quintet), with instrumentalists and singers. For several years she was opera couch conductor at the Petruzzelli Theatre of Bari.
She has played in Italy, Jugoslavia, Austria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, France, Germany , Finland and South America.
From 1977 to 2003 she was a permanent component of the Ferrari-Valente Piano Duo, which imposed itself in a number of national and international contests: “Belgrade”, “Casagrande”, “Alessandria”. In a duo formation (with recitals and concertos for two pianos with orchestra) she has held an intense activity in many Italian and foreign towns, playing monographic programmes and the integral of CLEMENTI, MOZART, BRAHMS, RACHMANINOFF, DEBUSSY, RAVEL, POULENC, and also contemporary repertoire:Luciano Berio – concerto for two pianos and orchestra, Bela Bartok – sonata for two pianos and percussion . Again in a piano duo she has performed live on RAI 1 and on various radio and TV programmes.
In her solo recitals, and with the new piano duo Valente-Larosa, she has often given a tone of specificity with either monographic or monothematic programmes or subject-based programmes or programmes with didactic purposes such as “the sonata form”, “ the transcription”, the “form of dance” and others, all introduced by lectures or listening guide.
She has been Art Director of the cultural and musical Association “Centro Studi Franz Liszt” RESEARCH@PRESS; now is president of Association Mozart Italy place of work of Bari. Already professor of piano at the “N. Piccinni” Conservatoire, she has taught to well-known pianists, among which a substantial number of teachers at various Italian Conservatoires and/or Music Academies. In the framework of her versatile activity, finally, Giovanna Valente gives seminars and specialisation courses in renowned Italian and foreign Academies, being regularly invited to be part the juries of international and national piano Contests.
