Jorge Romero ’27 sat in the middle of the packed concert hall last November as the orchestra played music he had never expected to hear: works by Latin American composers that reflected his own culture.
He listened to the joyful, lively rhythms inspired by the Latino community, each note feeling like a little slice of home. As a musician and vocalist, he had never felt represented on stage before, and when the final piece ended, he left with a stronger admiration for orchestral music and a new sense of possibility.
This summer, Romero, a Spanish and global Latinx studies double major and linguistics minor, turned that inspiration into action as the operations and engagement intern with The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA), the organization behind the concert that sparked his interest in orchestral music.
Romero found this opportunity through Trinity University’s Arts, Letters, and Enterprise program, which is designed to give students insight into administering organizations in the modern world. As an intern, he organized performances, created Canva designs, created a master schedule for the musicians, and worked on the orchestra’s fiscal report, all to make sure the orchestra and its events ran smoothly.
One of the largest events he worked on was TOSA’s annual 210 Festival, a two-week program that provides music education for students aged 8 to 18 across San Antonio.
Romero created a daily newsletter for parents and kept the youth workshops and concerts organized. Yet, he believes his biggest contribution was translating for students and their families who spoke Spanish.
“One thing about TOSA is, at least in the administrative side, there aren't a lot of Spanish speakers,” he says. “So coming in as a bilingual speaker was very useful for them to kind of bridge that gap.”
Romero appreciated the festival because it reflected TOSA’s mission and his own goal to make the world of orchestra more accessible and diverse.
“Seeing that there's a musician who looks like you and comes from the same background as you,” he says. “It makes you believe, ‘Well, if they can do it, so can I.’”
Romero hopes that all students have the chance to realize this for themselves, but he knows that isn’t the reality. Many students come from underprivileged communities, where schools have experienced budget cuts or have received inadequate funding for music education.
Through his studies, Romero has learned that many of these students are of Latin American descent. A Trinity class called “The U.S. Latinx Experiences” directly exposed him to these disparities, as he examined how education and resources are lacking for these communities around the country.
Romero feels deeply for these students, both as someone from the Latino community and as a musician who knows just how much of an impact music can have on someone.
“Coming from an arts background, I feel like that's what has really shaped who I am today,” he says. “From discipline to teamwork to forming such a close-knit community.”
He has been able to pursue music through the Trinity Chamber Singers and the music fraternity Mu Sigma Psi. All the opportunities he’s had to grow as a musician motivate him even more to open similar doors for others.
His internship with TOSA is only the beginning, as his work there has affirmed for him that he doesn’t want to leave the world of arts anytime soon. Considering a career in arts administration, he is determined to make a difference and continue to expand the space to be more inclusive.
“How can we get more people?” Romero says. “More people within my community, specifically, to come and feel seen and know that this is a space that they are also welcome in.”
Editor's Notes: In the above images, (left) Romero smiles next to a banner for The Orchestra San Antonio which promotes its mission of community engagement. (right) Romero stands outside of The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, where TOSA serves as its resident company.