Pepe Romero

Infobox musical artist | Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | Instrument = Guitar
Name = Pepe Romero


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Born = birth date and age|1944|3|8
Málaga, Spain
Died =
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Genre = Classical music, flamenco
Occupation = Guitarist, arranger
Years_active = "fl. ca." 1959 - "present"
Associated_acts = The Romero Guitar Quartet
Label = Philips Records
Notable_instruments = Torres 1856
URL = [http://www.peperomero.com www.peperomero.com]

Pepe Romero (born March 8, 1944 in Málaga, Spain) is a world-renowned classical and flamenco guitarist. He is particularly famous for his outstanding technique and colorful musical interpretations on the instrument.

As a soloist Pepe Romero has appeared in the United States, Europe, and many countries around the world with the Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco and Dallas Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the New York, Bogota and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the London Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, I Musici, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, the Hungarian State Orchestra, the Spanish National Orchestra, the Spanish National Radio/Television Orchestra, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, The New Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Springfiled Orchestra, the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra, the American Sinfonietta and the Bournemouth Symphony. He has been a special guest at the festivals of Salzburg, Israel, Schleswig-Holstein, Menuhin, Osaka, Granada, Istanbul, Ravinia, Garden State, Hollywood Bowl, Blossom, Wolf Trap, Saratoga and Hong Kong.

Since his first recording (at the age of 15) he has recorded over 50 solo albums and 30 albums as part of the famed guitar quartet The Romeros. He has played for Presidents Carter and Nixon, the Queen of the Netherlands, the Prince of Wales and Pope John Paul II. He has numerous international recording awards to his credit and has received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from University of Victoria.

His contributions to the field of classical guitar have inspired a number of distinguished composers to write works specifically for him, including Joaquín Rodrigo, Federico Moreno Torroba, Rev. Francisco de Madina, Lorenzo Palomo, Michael Zearott, and Celedonio Romero.

Pepe Romero is the second son of Celedonio Romero, who was his only guitar teacher. His first professional appearance was in a shared concert with his father when Pepe was only seven years old. In 1957 Celedonio Romero left Franco's Spain for the United States with his family.

Although originally a classical guitarist he is talented in Flamenco and a popular Flamenco performer. His most famous Flamenco-only album is called ¡Flamenco Fenomeno!

See also

The Romero Guitar Quartet
* 1960–90: Celedonio Romero, Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Angel Romero
* 1990–96: Celedonio Romero, Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Celino Romero
* since 1996: Celin Romero, Pepe Romero, Celino Romero, Lito Romero

External links

* [http://www.peperomero.com Official site]
* [http://www.romeroguitarquartet.com Romero guitar quartet official site]
* [http://urbanguitar.com/main_stage/articles/guitarra_espaol Interview with Pepe Romero]

Recordings

* [http://www.amazon.com/s?url=node%3D85&field-keywords=pepe+romero Discography available on CD]
* [http://digital-library.csun.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=exact&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/IGRAdiscography&CISOBOX1=Romero%2C+Pepe Some photos of LP covers] (Oviatt Library Digital Collections)