When I was hired in Torrington, I was hired in 1978 to take the choral program at Vogel-Wetmore School.  I came from New Britain Public Schools, New Britain, Connecticut where at Roosevelt Middle School I was the Band and Orchestra director.  At Roosevelt Middle School I had a jazz band and a Dixieland band.  I knew I was going to miss instrumental, so in 1979 I started a jazz band at Torrington High School at night, for those interested players who wanted something besides Band.  In a March 28, 1980 Register Citizen newspaper full page article “Enthusiasm in music” Matt Valenti said “I wanted to offer the high school musicians something different from string orchestra and marching band the high school program provides.  I hope to make them one of the best stage bands in the state.”

A graduate of Hartt College of Music, Mr. Valenti has been a public school teacher for 34 years.  Currently he is the string teacher at Torringford, Southwest, and Torrington Middle School.

Mr. Valenti and his wife Barbara Sargent-Valenti, a Hartt graduate, wrote six musicals, all of which had World Premieres at the historic Warner Theatre.  Mr. Valenti composed the music to Mrs. Valenti’s libretto and lyrics.  Mr. Valenti has also conducted numerous musicals at the Warner Theatre, as well as bringing life to the fiddler in the Warner’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.  Mr. Valenti was also the music director for St. Mary’s Children’s Theater for ten years.  Mr. Valenti has performed as a member of the Warner Theatre Orchestra, the Litchfield Chamber Orchestra, and was concertmaster of the Torrington Civic Symphony.  Mr. Valenti is Choir Director and Organist at Founders Congregational Church in Harwinton, and Organist at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Hartford.  As a performer, Mr. Valenti has played at numerous restaurants in the state, currently at La Tratorria in Canton, and Cuginos in East Hartland.  Many will remember him playing at The Tributary in Winsted, where he played for 23 years.  Mr. Valenti is also a private piano, violin, trumpet and vocal teacher.

For eight years, Mr. Valenti has been the president of the Torrington Education Association, the four hundred member teacher’s union in Torrington.

The Valenti’s have two daughters, Heather Miller, also a Hartt graduate, and Maura Valenti, currently attending Juilliard School in New York City.  They also have two precious grandchildren, Faith Miller, 7, and Jack Miller, 5.