Vicente Gómez Collection

by Victoria Veloz, a 3rd year undergraduate student studying Business Administration Marketing and the IGRA fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year - November 10, 2026

In the International Guitar Research Archives in Special Collections and Archives, a collection dedicated to the life, career, and music of notable Spanish guitarist, Vicente Gómez, has amassed over 32 linear feet and 10 gigabytes of documents, photographs, ephemera, and audiovisual materials.

Born in Madrid in 1911, Vicente Gómez began playing the guitar in his father’s tavern, Casa Paco, where he became familiar with the instrument as early as age 8. It was his father and the environment at his tavern of rotating visits from flamenco performers, guitarists, and dancers that motivated Vicente’s musical pursuit. At just 13 years old, he played his first solo recital at the 16th-century entertainment venue Teatro Español in Madrid. Furthering his music career, he studied in the Conservatory of Madrid, where he completed a 4-year program in just 2 years.

During the 1930s, Vicente Gómez toured extensively, traveling through North Africa, Russia, and Italy. When the Spanish Civil War began, he sought refuge in France. While residing in France, he travelled and played in Cuba and Mexico. During a radio performance broadcasted in Mexico, he was discovered by a manager at NBC who convinced Vicente to move his music career to the United States. In 1937, Gómez made the decision to relocate to New York, where he would perform often at various venues in the city, such as the Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room. He was also signed to Decca Records after his breakthrough in the U.S.

The 1940s brought new opportunities in Hollywood for Vicente Gómez. Academy Award-winning composer, Alfred Newman, invited Gómez to collaborate on the music for the 1941 20th Century Fox film, Blood and Sand.  While being interviewed for the film, Gómez revealed to Newman that, in his teens, Gómez had contributed to music for Spanish silent films. In one scene of Blood and Sand, Gómez made a cameo in the film as a guitarist playing his own flamenco guitar composition. Other films Gómez worked as a musician and composer on are Crisis, Captain from Castile, Carmelo in Costa Rica, The Fighter, Moonfleet, and The Sun Also Rises.

In 1943, Gómez became a U.S. citizen and enlisted in the U.S. Army. Vicente was stationed at Camp Shanks in New York where he would still perform music alongside his duties as a part of the Special Services Entertainment Section. After his time in the army, Gómez opened his own club in New York City called La Zambra. Located in Manhattan, celebrities would visit frequently to enjoy his flamenco guitar performances. Gómez was the president of the Classical Guitar Society of New York and would hold meetings at the club as well.

Several years later in 1953, Gómez opened his own school in Los Angeles, the Academy of the Spanish Arts. Spanish language, guitar, flamenco dance, and even bullfighting were among the subjects taught at the school. Gómez taught at the school while simultaneously running and performing at the club in New York. Eventually, he sold both to different ownership and settled in Los Angeles. Vicente Gómez lived to 90 years old, passing away in Burbank, California in 2001.

Vicente Gómez dedicated his life to his passion for guitar performance. The Spanish musician composed, arranged, performed, conducted, and ran businesses, and during his later career, became a teacher. His legacy is accessible to those also passionate about guitar performance in Special Collections and Archives.

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