First Family of Guitar at Arts Center

For the Romeros, who have been concertizing steadily around the world for more than 25 years, performing at a major concert hall for the first time is an experience they are more likely to remember than prepare for.

Still, 44-year-old Pepe Romero is “looking forward to playing at Segerstrom Hall” in Costa Mesa with his two brothers and their father tonight. “I hear they have a gorgeous hall there,” he said.

The “Royal Family of the Guitar,” as the Romeros are known worldwide, plan several works for their first concert at the 18-month-old Orange County Performing Arts Center, including transcriptions of Bizet’s Suite from “Carmen,” Vivaldi’s Concerto in C, a work by Gaspar Sanz entitled “Baroque Suite” and works by Torroba, Breton and Mertz.

Perhaps the most difficult part of catching up on the careers of these four very busy musicians is trying to decide which of the countless items on their agendas are more important than the others. One certainly can’t consider them all.

Their activities around the world include not only extensive concertizing, teaching, recording and composing, but youngest son Angel, 41, now has become the first family member to record for the sound track of a major motion picture.

“I performed in Dave Grusin’s sound track to Robert Redford’s new movie ‘The Milagro Bean Field War,’ ” Angel Romero said. “I played in just about all of the sequences, except for maybe the chase scenes.”

Angel Romero also has a new album out, “A Touch of Class,” which he reports is climbing quickly up the Billboard magazine charts. Pepe Romero’s new album of flamenco music will be released in a few months.

When asked if they ever get tired of all the work, oldest son Celin, 48, replied, “No. I find it refreshes me. Besides, we make friends wherever we go, and it’s always good to see them when we travel.”

Even with all their traveling, the Romeros, who all live in or near Del Mar in San Diego County, spend a great deal of time at home and teach at three colleges in the San Diego area.

“I love teaching,” Celin Romero said. “I think it’s good to have variety in your life, and teaching gives it to me.”

Among Angel Romero’s students is his 20-year-old son, Lito. “He represents the third generation of the Romeros,” Angel observed, “and, like the first and second generation, will also no doubt make a mark in the music world.”

Pepe, Angel and Celin took their first lessons from their father, Celedonio, in their native city of Malaga, Spain. In the late 1950s, Celedonio Romero had become fed up with the policies of Franco, especially the law that forbade him to concertize outside of the country. So he smuggled his wife and his boys out of Spain into Portugal, with practically no possessions. They eventually settled in Southern California, where the quartet was formed.

The Romeros’ has been a classic American success story. By 1980, the country from which they had fled welcomed them back, and Celedonio Romero received the Great Cross of Isabel la Catolica (the Spanish equivalent of an English knighthood) from King Juan Carlos.

Still, although the Romeros feel that things have gotten better in their native Spain, they have no plans to move anywhere outside of Southern California.

“King Juan Carlos is a very great man and has done much to restore Spanish art and music since the death of Franco,” Celedonio Romero said, “but I still don’t want to live anywhere but here.”

“I love Southern California very, very much,” added Pepe Romero. “I have been all over the world and there isn’t a better place to live anywhere.”

THE ROMEROS

Today, 8:00 p.m.

Orange County Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa.

$10 to $25.

Information: (714) 556-2787.