The Official Website of 2024 Global Genius®, Multi-GRAMMY®, and EMMY® Award Winner, Dr. José Valentino
Our CEO
“Be ruined for the ordinary and obsessed with the pursuit of wonder. That wonder is Jesus Christ.”
The 2024 Grand Prize® Winner & 10-time Global Genius® Award Winner, four-time Latin GRAMMY® Award Winner and three-time Latin GRAMMY® Award Nominee, EMMY® Award Winner, 55-time DownBeat® Music Award Winner (record holder), and 33-time Global Music® Award Winner (record holder), Dr. José Valentino Ruiz maintains a vibrant career as an internationally touring cross-genre performing and recording artist (flutist, saxophonist, and bassist), has performed 1400+ concerts as Headliner in numerous festivals, performing arts centers (including twice at Carnegie Hall), and conferences on six continents (North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, & Australia); led 40+ non-profit mission trips; delivered 110+ keynotes, concerts, workshops in academic sectors; consulted numerous Fortune 500 companies; produced 150+ albums and 10 documentaries; and published 80+ peer-reviewed research articles. His innovative contributions and company have significantly impacted the music industry, generating substantial value and recognition.
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS IN MUSIC PERFORMANCE, MUSIC PRODUCTION, AUDIO ENGINEERING, MUSIC COMPOSITION, BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, DIGITAL MEDIA, COMMUNICATION ARTS, & EDUCATION
Legendary artists describe José Valentino’s artistry on the bass guitar as "Very soulful and heartfelt!" (Multi-GRAMMY® Award Winner, John Patitucci) and "Amazing and incredible!" (Bass Magazine’s three-time Bassist of the Year® Award Winner, Victor Wooten); on the saxophone as "Genius!" (Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Paquito D’Rivera) and "Openly and unequivocally speaks beyond" (multi-Oscar® Award Winning film musician, Pedro Eustache); and on the flute as "Playing the flute with fire!" (National Endowment of the Arts® Jazz Master, Hubert Laws); and "The best improvisor on flute!" (Lifetime Achievement Award® Winning flutist, Jim Walker).
José Valentino’s international awards span from music, business, entrepreneurship, digital media production, communications, and education: four GRAMMY® Awards (2022 Best Latin Children’s Album, 2022 Best Christian Album in Spanish Language, 2020 Best Contemporary Classical Composition, and 2019 Best Christian Album in Spanish Language); three GRAMMY® Award Nominations (2023 Best Instrumental Album; 2016 Best Instrumental Album; and 2015 Best Latin Jazz Album); EMMY® Award (2018 Best Cultural Documentary); two International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences' Anthem® Award (2024 & 2023 Education, Art, and Culture—Best Strategy); Gospel Music Association’s Dove® Award (2022 Spanish Language of the Year); Inc. Magazine's Best in Business® Award (2022 Advertising company); Inc. Magazine's Power Partner® Award (2022 B2B company); and Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Company® Award (2022 Video Agency).
Unprecedentedly, Valentino has amassed ten Global Genius® Award (2024 Grand Prix® Award; 2024 Season Top 1 Prize®, 2024 Platinum® Prize for Concerto, 2024 Platinum® Prize for Composition, 2024 Platinum® Prize for Chamber Music, 2024 Platinum® Prize for Jazz, 2024 Platinum® Prize for Technical Mastery Genius® Special Award; 2022-2024 Outstanding Teacher Award); the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts' 2023 and 2024 The Communicator® Award (Consumer Marketing & Communication: Film & Video–Use of Music); thirty-three Global Music® Awards (2024 Instrumental Album (Gold); 2024 Instrumental Marimba Album; 2024 Latin Jazz Album; 2024 Andean-American Folk Album; 2024 Latin Children's Music Album; 2024 Brazilian Jazz Ensemble category; 2024 Composition category; 2024 Latin Jazz Big Band; 2024 Instrumentalist Video; 2023 Global Choir Álbum; 2023 Instrumentalist (Gold); 2023 Recording/Production (Gold); 2023 Jazz Fusion Album; 2023 Concept (x2); 2023 Creativity/Originality (x2); 2023 Duo Album; 2023 Latin Jazz Album; 2023 Instrumentalist; 2023 Jazz Performance (x2); 2023 Christmas Album; 2022 Contemporary Classical Album (x2); 2022 Mixed-Genre Album; 2022 Alternative Music Album; 2022 Vocal Jazz Album; 2022 Experimental Music Album; 2022 Nuevo Flamenco Album; 2022 Funk Fusion Album; 2018 Album of the Year; 2018 Meditation Music Album); and the International Singer-Songwriters Association® Award (2023 Best International Female Album of the Year); three 2024 Erik Satie International Music Competition Prizes (Diamond Prize® for Concerto "Found Connections", Platinum Prize® for Original Composition for "Highland Serenade", and Excellent Creativity Special Prize® for Video Production); two 2024 UK International Music CompetitionPrizes (Absolute First Prize® in Original Composition for “Highland Serenade”; Master Prize® for Concerto for "Found Connection"; and the 2024 Beethoven-DaVinci International Music Competition Grand Prize® Award (overall best performer of the competition) and Platinum Prize® Award for Concerto performance (featured artist for "Found Connections" Concerto for Multi-Instrumentalist and Wind Symphony).
Moreover, Valentino has received fifty-five Downbeat Music® Awards (record holder as competitor and adjudicator from 2006–2022 in the categories of Jazz Soloist, Small Jazz Group, Blues/Pop/Rock Soloist, Blues/Pop/Rock Group, Latin Group, Engineered Studio Recording, Engineered Live Recording, & Classical Soloist); two Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts' Davey® Award (2023 Film/Video: Education; 2022 Virtual & Remote Experiences); four Association for Marketing & Communication Professionals' Audio Visual Arts Digital® Awards (2024 Platinum for Televised Boardcast; 2023 Platinum, 2023 Gold, and 2022 Gold for Long Form Music Videos); Yamaha Young Performing Artist® Award (2006 Flute); five United Kingdom Music Industry® Awards, ARPA® Award (Best Male Vocal Album) and ARPA® Award Nomination (Album of the Year); the New Vision® Award (Bahamas International Film Festival); Impact DOCS® Award of Excellence (2023 Documentary Feature); University® Award for Most Impactful Education Value (2023 Paladino d'Oro Sports Film Festival); University of South Florida Outstanding Young Alumni® Award; Hillsborough County's (Tampa Bay) Commendation® Award for Excellence in Community Entrepreneurship; and Parents' Choice® Award (2017 Gold Medal for Children's Music), among many others.
Moreover, Valentino's business ventures, productions, and leadership initiatives have been recognized by various global media outlets such as Inc. Magazine, Fast Company Magazine, Fortune Magazine (x2), The Economist, USA Today, DownBeat Magazine, New York Times, LA Times, Yahoo Finance!, The Miami Herald, Billboard Magazine, CNN Entertainment, Rolling Stone Magazine (x2), & For Bass Players Only Magazine.
With a fervent passion for sharing music with people worldwide, José Valentino's headlining performances have graced renowned stages such as Carnegie Hall (twice), Tanglewood Hall, Clearwater Jazz Holiday (twice), Musikfest (USA's largest non-gated music festival); Seabreeze Jazz Festival (thrice), Uptown Music Festival (twice), and the spectacular Free Chapel’s Christmas Spectacular (seven concerts, making it the largest Christmas concert production in the Southeastern USA). His musical journey has also led him to captivate audiences at ULTRA Music Festival, St. Armand’s Jazz Festival (five times), St. Pete Jazz Festival, St. Pete Latin Jazz Festival, World Music Festival (twice), Pilgrimage Festival, Winter Park Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, Jacksonville Jazz Festival, and the enchanting Sounds of the Season Concerts at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (five times).
Internationally, José Valentino's melodies have resonated across the globe, taking him to the stages of Spain, Greece, Turkey, Liberia, Guatemala (thrice), Nicaragua (four times), Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Austria, Hungary, France, and countless venues throughout the United States of America. These include notable spots like El Choliseo in Puerto Rico, El Conservatorio de Puerto Rico (five times), appearances at the renowned NAMM Show (nine times), and numerous memorable concerts in venues such as the Reilly Arts Center, Mahaffey Theater, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Mahaffey Theater, and The Palladium Theater (four times), and the RCA Dome, performing in front of 50,000 people. As a collaborative performing artist, José Valentino has performed as a Headliner or Opening Act, and recording albums alongside numerous GRAMMY® Award Winners and music legends such as Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, Alex Acuña, Jim Walker, Marcos Witt, Brian Bromberg, Victor Wooten, Chucho Valdez, Aaron Neville, Renesito Avich, Marcos Sanchez, Dave Weckl, John Pattitucci, Gaither Band, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Willard R. Kesling, Maharajah Flamenco Trio, and Spyro Gyra. As a music producer, Valentino worked as a music producer for American Idol and X-Factor television series.
PROLIFIC SCHOLAR IN ART ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BUSINESS, & MUSIC INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
Valentino’s peer-reviewed academic research, performances, compositions, and keynotes have been presented at Musikfest's Music Industry and Education conference, International Society for Music Education, Global Institute for Music Research, Association for Popular Music Education (x4), Society for Music Teacher Education, National Association for Music Education, Society for Arts Entrepreneurship Education (x6), National Flute Association (x9), International Jazz & Entrepreneurship Camp (x3), Global Music Production and Entrepreneurship Summit, International Jazz & Entrepreneurship Camp (x3), Aspen Music Festival (Jazz Academy), TEDx Talk, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Flute Association, World Flute Society, International Guitar Foundation of America Conference (x2), UF International Piano Festival, National Opera Association, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Gospel Music Association, Jazz Education Network (x2), The Midwest Clinic for Band and Orchestra, UF Music Industry Leadership Day, Digital Music Entrepreneurship & Leadership Summit, among many others.
Valentino's thought leadership and empirical studies have been featured in numerous top-tier peer-reviewed journals worldwide. His work has been published in the International Journal of Music Performative Research, International Journal of Music & Cultural Studies, International Journal of Music Entrepreneurship & Leadership, Open Journal of Music Education, International Journal of Health and Music, International Journal of Music Pedagogy, Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, Journal of Arts Entrepreneurship Education (twice), Journal of Popular Music Education (twice), College Music Symposium, National Association for Music Education (thirteen times), Association for Popular Music Education (six times), Music Business Journal (Berklee), International Journal of Community Music, International Research Forum for Music Performance & Artistry, International Research Forum for Music & Wellbeing, International Research Forum for Music Business & Innovation, International Research Forum for Music Administration & Governance, International Research Forum for Cross-Cultural Music & Issues, International Research Forum for Music Pedagogy & Practice, International Research Forum for Global Music Education, International Research Forum for Music & Multimedia Production, International Research Forum for Music Improvisation & Composition, International Trombone Journal (three times), Music Teacher National Association E-Journal, American Music Teacher, Music Teacher National Association Business Digest, Kansas Music Review (twice), Fflat-Books, Journal of Undergraduate Research, Voyage Magazine, Canvas Rebel Magazine (twice), Bold Journey Magazine (twice), The Conversation, All About Jazz, The Flute View, The Flute Examiner, Flutist Quarterly, and other scholarly outlets.
Formally, Valentino served as Co-Editor of Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts in 2023. Currently, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the International Journal of Music Entrepreneurship & Leadership.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS & PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Credentially, Dr. José Valentino Ruiz holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A. '09) in Music Theory, Master of Music (M.M. '12) in Instrumental Performance, Doctor of Ministry (D.Min. '15) in Global Outreach & Missiology, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D. '16) in Music Education, and Doctor of Biblical Exposition (D.B.E.) with a concentration in Creative Arts Entrepreneurship (August 2024). He credits his teachers, Dr. Kim McCormick (flute), Valerie Gillespie (saxophone), Valentin Ruiz (bass guitar, business, and entrepreneurship), Dr. Sandra Resto-Ruiz (piano and mission work), Steve Rucker (percussion), and Dr. Victor Fung (research) for investing in his calling. Prior professional experience in the non-prodit entrepreneurship sector include 1) Director of Global Entrepreneurship Initiatives at the Diaz Music Institute 501C3 (2017-2022); 2) Assistant Professor of Music Business, Production, and Jazz (2016-219); 3) Instructor of Record & Course Developer of Music Production, Commercial Music Education, and Ethnomusicology at the University of South Florida (2013-2016).
