The 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY), one of New York's leading cultural venues, presents Pepe Romero, guitar, on April 16, 2023 at 3pm ET at the Kaufmann Concert Hall. The concert will also be available for viewing online for 72 hours from time of broadcast. Tickets for both the in-person and livestream options start at $25 and are available at 92ny.org/event/pepe-romero-guitar.
Classical guitar legend – and one of the greatest global ambassadors the instrument has known – Pepe Romero returns to the 92NY stage for a very special 80th birthday celebration concert. Romero has been a beloved and central part of 92NY's guitar concerts since the earliest days of its Art of the Guitar series.
Program:
Sanz, Danzas Españolas
Villa-Lobos, Five Preludes
Barrios, "Evocación", "Tonadilla" from Arroyos de la Alhambra
Malats, Serenata española
Granados, Spanish Dance No. 5, "Andaluza"
Torroba, Nocturno
Tárrega, Capricho árabe
Celedonio Romero, Fantasía cubana
"When [Pepe] Romero performs, all the subtleties of the guitarist's art – accent, rhythmic nuance, tone quality, volume level, etc. – come together all the time to form one perfect gesture after another."
– St. Louis Post-Dispatch
About the Artist
One of the most celebrated and versatile musicians of his generation on any instrument, the Spanish-born guitarist Pepe Romero has enjoyed a varied and illustrious career. Together with his father, the legendary Celedonio Romero, and his brothers Celin and Angel, Pepe established the Romeros Quartet—the "Royal Family of the Guitar"—as the leading guitar ensemble in the world. Known for classical performances of dazzling virtuosity, compelling interpretations, and flawless technique, Pepe is also a passionate advocate of the traditional flamenco of his native Andalusia. He has appeared as featured soloist with the world's greatest orchestras and ensembles, in collaboration with the most celebrated conductors and composers. Since his first recording, Flamenco Fenómeno, released when he was only fifteen, Pepe has made more than sixty recordings, including over forty concertos with the Academy of St. Martin-in-theFields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner and Iona Brown. Among his recent releases are Torroba: Guitar Concertos Vol I and Vol II, both CDs are part a series of recordings (shared with guitarist Vicente Coves and conducted by Manuel Coves) for NAXOS of the complete guitar concertos by Federico Moreno Torroba. Just released in October 2016 by Dacapo Records is a historic live performance of "Concierto de Aranjuez" with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos conducting the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. A new Spanish solo collection entitled Spanish Nights (which includes a premiere recording of Suite Madrileña No.1 by Celedonio Romero) was released by Deutsche Grammophon. In November 2012, Pepe Romero received a Latin Grammy Nomination for "Best Classical Album" for his recording of Concierto festivo by Ernesto Cordero. In 2004, Pepe Romero was named Distinguished Artist in Residence at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music; he also teaches master classes at USC, in the Salzburg Summer Academy, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, and the Córdoba Guitar Festival. Among other honors, Pepe has been knighted into the Order of "Isabel la Católica"; awarded honorary doctorates in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the University of Victoria; and the "Premio Andalucia de Música," the highest recognition given by his native land for contribution to the arts and in 2018 he received the Medalla de Honor from the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Granada for his lifelong achievement in performance and pedagogy. Pepe is featured in the award-winning film documentary Shadows and Light: Joaquín Rodrigo at 90; the Romeros have been the subject of biographical documentaries on PBS television and the German television channel NDR. In 2007, the Romeros received the President's Merit Award from the Recording Academy, producers of the Grammy Awards, for their significant contributions to the music world and professional career achievements.
