The Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute is offering a new scholarship named after a former student who passed away last semester.
The institute began in 2008 at the Quartz Mountain music festival and moved to OCU in the summer of 2013. Thirty-six students are accepted every year to participate in private lessons, master classes and chamber coaching. The students also deliver two solo concerts and one concert with the Romeros, a famous guitar quartet started by Celedonio Romero in 1960.
The institute, taking place every summer for nine days on campus, recently awarded a scholarship in honor of Vinnie Franco, former pre-med and guitar performance freshman. Franco, originally from Brazil, lived with a host family in Norman, Oklahoma, from his sophomore year of high school until his death last semester. His host family, the Foshees, started a scholarship this summer.
Qualifiers must be international students wanting to attend the Celedonio Romero Guitar institute, but they do not have to be students at OCU. The scholarship covers the event, food and housing, which totals to about $1,700.
The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Gustavo Samor, music education senior at University of Arkansas. Samor is originally from Panama, which qualified him for the funding.
Samor met Franco in 2017 at the Celedonio Romero Guitar Institute. He made a connection with the Romeros and returned for the 2018 event.
“When I met with them, they opened their arms to me,” Samor said. “That was really beautiful.”
The Foshee family intends to maintain the scholarship annually and award it to students like Franco and Samor.
Matt Denman, former director of education at the Guitar Foundation of America, taught Franco during his time at OCU.
“I think, for Vinnie, [the institute] was pretty transformative,” Denman said. “Vinnie’s eyes lit up when he was able to play with Pepe Romero. He was part of their family.”
Jackson Roberg, guitar performance sophomore, attended the institute with Franco for two years.
“Vinnie’s heart was filled with love for music and the guitar,” Roberg said. “This scholarship gives its recipients the opportunity to experience Vinnie’s love of music and the Romeros. I think it is a beautiful dedication to his spirit.”
Tomi Vetter, piano performance sophomore, said the scholarship is a great way to honor Vinnie.
“As a close friend of Vinnie’s, the scholarship is more than wonderful, and I can definitely say on the behalf of everyone who knew Vinnie that it is very touching and endearing.”
The specific dates for the 2019 program have not been set, but it will take place for nine days in June or July. For more information, visit romeroinstitute.wixsite.com/romero.
Leave a Reply