Celedonio Romero


Celedonio Romero was a guitarist, composer and poet, perhaps best known as the founder of The Romeros guitar quartet.

Biography

Celedonio Romero was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, while his parents were on a business trip to the island. He began playing the guitar at the age of 5, and eventually studied music theory, harmony, composition, and counterpoint at the Conservatory of Málaga and at the Madrid Royal Conservatory, where he was taught by Joaquín Turina. Romero never studied with a guitar teacher. Although he made his concert debut at the age of 22 and was well known in Spain, the Franco government refused to permit him to give concerts abroad, keeping him unknown from the rest of the world. His wife, Angelita, was a singer and stage actress who had studied at Málaga's Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
After secretly obtaining an American visa, the family secured permission to visit an ailing relative in Portugal in 1957. However, rather than returning to Spain, the family settled in Southern California, and Celedonio and his three sons Celin, Pepe, and Angel started a guitar quartet, The Romeros, and also began to take on guitar students. Celedonio Romero was Christopher Parkening's first teacher; and then Pepe also taught Parkening. Angelita Romero can be heard playing castanets on some of the quartet's recordings.
Celedonio made a large number of recordings, both solo and with the Romeros, which appeared on the Delos and Philips labels. He also wrote over 100 compositions for guitar, including a dozen concertos.
Romero died of lung cancer at the age of 83 in San Diego, California. He was inducted into the Orden de Isabel la Católica by King Juan Carlos I. He was also made a "Caballero del Santo Sepulcro" by Pope John Paul II.

Compositions

Many of the dates below are publication dates rather than when the work was first composed.Suite andaluza: para guitarraEstudio. La MariposaTango Angelita: for voice and guitar or solo guitar Noche en malaga Romantic Prelude Gavota para guitarra Tema y variaciones: Homenaje a Fernando Sor: para guitarra Cinco preludios para guitarra Concierto de Malaga: por soleares La Catedral de Colonia: para guitarra Diez preludios: VI al XV, para guitarra Preludios; y, Canción para guitarra Dos mazurkas para guitarra Sonata scarlatta: para guitarra: no. 1 para guitarra Celin: tango: para guitarra Fiesta andaluza: concierto para guitarra y orquesta Sonata Scarlatta: no. 2 para guitarra El cortijo de Don Sancho: suite para guitarra y orquesta Fantasia cortesana : suite antigua para guitarra y orquesta Los Maestros: tres canciones para tres principales: guitarra Suite madrileña, no. 1 para guitarra Suite madrileña, no. 2 Pepe: vals, para guitarra Angel: vals no. 1 para guitarra Angel vals: no. 2 para guitarra Guitarras del museo : para quintarra y orquesta Nocturno de la bahia y la farola La Petenera se ha muerto y los pajaros vuelan: for guitar El Embrujo de gibralfaro y puerta oscura: concierto no. 8 Fantasia española: poema a la guitarra Suite number 9 : Concerto for 2 guitars and orchestra Canción Habanera Danza andaluza: no 1
  • ''Danza andaluza: no 1''