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1954 – 1959
he studied accordion playing at the Higher School of Music for Education of Music School Teachers in Bratislava (later the pedagogical branch of the Conservatory)
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1957 – 1963
a concert accordion player, art manager and the Bratislava accordion trio, assistent to a conductor, répétiteur and soloist of the Railway Art Ensemble, at the same time, a district methodist of amateur ensembles and schoolmaster
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1959 – 1969
a teacher of music at various schools (Bratislava, Žiar nad Hronom, Nové Mesto nad Váhom, Stará Turá), schoolmaster and choirmaster of amateur choir
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1967 – 1969
external studies of accordion playing at the Bratislava Conservatory
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1969 – 1974
Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (music theory)
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since 1979
an editor of the Publishing House of the Music Fund
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1990 – 1995
an external pedagogue at the Bratislava Conservatory (theoretical subjects) and the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (theoretical subjects, sacral music)
"Valenta’s work is aimed above all at a wide social reach. With his sacred compositions, which he writes in several versions, and often in both the Czech and Slovak languages, he seeks to engage the listener with a message about the need for a spiritual faith. A second feature of his work is the pedagogical or instructive pieces for the use of Elementary Art Schools."
(JURÍK, Marián: Ivan Valenta. In: A Hundred Slovak Composers. Eds. Marián Jurík, Peter Zagar. Bratislava : National Music Centre Slovakia, 1998, p. 282.)