For the past 18 years, Washingtonians who love melodic music, corny jokes and mingling with friendly folks in the holiday spirit have spent New Year’s Eve at the Kennedy Center with Murry Sidlin and the National Symphony Orchestra. For Sidlin, dean of the Catholic University School of Music and popular guest conductor around the world, this is the one concert when he knows that everybody has come of his or her own volition to have fun amid semiserious trappings. This year, his guest is Spanish guitarist Pepe Romero, the second son of the “Royal Family of the Guitar.”

“Pepe will perform ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ by Joaquin Rodrigo, a lovely, tuneful work that has been played by many guitarists, but Pepe studied with Rodrigo and claims the prize,” Sidlin said. “We met many years ago in Milwaukee when I was conducting all four Romeros, the father, Celedonio, and his three sons.