Paulo Valente Pereira was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1948. His musical studies started under the guidance of his aunt Fernanda Valente Pereira (pianist), and continued later at the National Conservatory while attending high school and university. Paulo began studying the guitar at the age of 14 with José Duarte Costa, and later with Emilio Pujol. He also studied with Maria Lívia São Marcos, during her visits to Lisbon between 1965 and 1969. In 1969, he moved to Paris, where he studied with Javier Hinojosa and Alberto Ponce. He received a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation from 1973 to 1975.
Paulo lived in France between 1969 and 1976, while there he taught at the Conservatoire de Neuilly (Neuilly sur Seine), the Goussainville and Beauchamp (Val d'Oise) music schools and at the Paris X and Paris XX cultural centers.
After moving back to Portugal in 1976, Paulo formed his own class at theAcademia de Amadores de Música. He also taught at the Conservatório Regional de Castelo Branco, between 1986 and 1994. From 1996 to 1999, he led the guitar studio at the Universidade de Évora.
From 1995 to 1998, he gave master classes at the summer courses in Oliveira do Bairro.
As a guest artist, Paulo has collaborated with the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in such operas as Vingança da Cigana, Il Guarani, Il Barbieri di Siviglia, Falstaff, Don Giovanni and Wozzeck.
Paulo has performed as a soloist, both with orchestra and in recital. He has always had a particular interest in chamber music; as an accompanist for singers' recitals as well as in duos, trios and quartets. Paulo Valente Pereira has performed in France, Spain and Austria. In Portugal, he has participated in recitals and concerts organized byGulbenkian Foundation, Classic Radio (R.D.P.), and Costa do Sol Tourism, amongst others. He has been a regular performer at the Lisbon, Leiria and Algarve festivals. He has also performed many concerts in city halls, libraries, universities and cultural associations.
In 1984 he started studying the octachord (eight-string guitar), and this has influenced his teaching and writing. AvA Editions are now publishing his Methods and Etudes.