Evening Performance and Discussion with Pepe Romero, Guitarist

Drinks Reception at 6:30 pm
Program at 7:00 pm
Close at 8:30 pm

Pepe Romero is legendary in the world of classical music. Coming from the ‘Royal Family of the Guitar’, Pepe is the second son of Celedonio Romero, one of the greatest guitarists that ever lived. Pepe has been honored by kings, heads of state and major institutions, but his most important contribution has been reaching out to the common man, communicating the richness and beauty of the classical guitar to millions around the world. He has performed and made many acclaimed recordings of a wide repertoire of guitar music, and collaborated with nearly all the finest conductors of our time. Composers like Rodrigo, Torroba, Palomo, and his father Celedonio have written new works for him. He is also a member of the world famous Los Romero, a guitar quartet with his two brothers, Celin and Angel, formed by his father. Pepe has always felt, along with his father and brothers, that the sharing of one's art, and passing on the tradition, is a personal responsibility. He has served as Professor of Guitar at the University of Southern California, UC San Diego, and Southern Methodist University. In 2004, he was appointed Distinguished Artist in Residence at USC’s Thornton School of Music, which he currently serves as Adjunct Professor.

In this special evening, Pepe will engage in a musical dialogue with Dr. Hans J. Kothuis, a long-time friend of the Romero family, and Asia Society’s President Circle member, to recount anecdotes from his family, from Málaga, Spain to California, respond on his guitar to excerpts from documentary Los Romeros: The Royal Family of the Guitar, and share his encounters with Asia, which began in 1992, and continue to mesmerize and inspire many in this part of the world. 

Co-presented with