Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra

The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra (HVGO) is a grass roots, avant-garde ensemble of 20 + acoustic, and electric guitarists from diverse backgrounds.
HVGO was founded in 2008 by guitar-innovator Peter Blanchette (archguitar.com), and has been a run-away success, winning awards for its debut CD. In 2011, Blanchette was named “Outstanding Individual Artist,” by Western New England Public Radio for his work with HVGO.

HVGO creates new and beautiful music that could only come from such an eclectic melange. HVGO has been packing venues from classical music halls to rock clubs to outdoor shows at farmers’ markets! Highlights of the HVGO repertoire include Blanchette’s “Fantasy for Oud and Electric Guitar Orchestra,” pulsing arrangements of Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56, BB 68, Arvo Pärt’s Fratres (originally for 8 cellos), unforgettable excerpts from Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha: M.K. Gandhi in South Africa, and uncannily colorful arrangements of Led Zeppelin.