Valerie Barr is a Scottish accordionist celebrated for her dynamic versatility as both a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed with some of the UK's leading ensembles, such as the BBC Philharmonic, the Hallé, Scottish Opera, Opera North, London Concertante and The Glasgow Barons.
With a repertoire that spans across classical and contemporary works, she has appeared in prominent productions such as Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, The F*****s and their Friends Between Revolutions by Ted Huffman & Philip Venables, Cabaret, a chamber production of Puccini’s La Bohème with Szene12, Scottish Opera Young Company's world premiere of Rubble, featuring music by Gareth Williams and she has recently worked with Gecko Theatre. Valerie’s performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, RTÉ Lyric FM, and Celtic Music Radio, and she recently connected with younger audiences on CBeebies' Musical Storyland. Additionally, she is a regular performer with the Pogue Traders, a tribute band dedicated to the music of The Pogues.
A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Valerie studied under the tutelage of world-renowned accordionist Djordje Gajic. Her artistry is further shaped by her training at the Italian Accordion Academy, where she studied with the acclaimed Claudio Jacomucci. There, she developed her skills in performance, transcription, composition, and improvisation. She has benefitted from masterclasses with leading accordionists including Miloš Milivojević, Bjarke Mogensen, James Crabb, Raimondas Sviackevičius, and Varavin Lyudmila Vasilievna. Valerie has also performed in national and international festivals such as the Leeds International Organ Festival, Festival Internazionale Fisarmonica in Italy and Ruhrtriennale Festival der Künste in Germany.
Beyond performance, Valerie is equally dedicated to education and nurturing the next generation of musicians. From 2021 to 2024, she was an instrumental tutor with the Diocese of Leeds Music Programme, teaching at Leeds Cathedral and various schools across the region. Prior to this she held various roles in the RCS Juniors and Early Years programmes, where she continues to be a deputy tutor. Valerie also tutors at the RCS Accordion Summer School alongside her former teacher, Djordje Gajic, and at Halsway Manor with Paul Hutchinson and Tamsin Elliott. She is particularly proud of her work with Live Music Now Scotland, where she brought the joy of music to diverse communities across the country from 2019 to 2021.
Valerie is deeply committed to elevating the accordion’s prominence within the world of classical music, advocating for its recognition as a sophisticated and expressive instrument in this genre. Equally passionate about its versatility, she explores the accordion's capabilities across a vast array of musical styles, from folk and tango to contemporary and experimental music.
The instrument that Valerie performs on is a
Bugari Prime.