Michael James Romeo (born March 6, 1968) is an American guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Symphony X. He is one of two members to appear on every Symphony X release (the other being Michael Pinnella). Romeo is known for his speed and precision on the guitar, having been praised for his "pyrotechnic displays" on the instrument. He is also known for his unique style of tapping. Romeo was ranked #91 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World, and has influenced a number of younger players, including DragonForce's Herman Li, who listed Romeo among his Top 10 favorite guitarists in 2011. Early life and influences Romeo's introduction to formal music training began with piano lessons at the age of 10. His parents owned a piano, and a piano teacher would visit the house once per week. He also played clarinet in a school concert band. Through lessons, Romeo was introduced to a number of classical composers that would become a source of inspiration throughout his career, such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Richard Wagner, Gustav Holtz and Igor Stravinsky. Upon hearing his first Kiss album, Romeo purchased a cheap acoustic guitar at a garage sale and began practicing. He became serious about the guitar around the age of 12, after listening to the albums Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman by Ozzy Osbourne, and would subsequently be heavily influenced by the neoclassical technique and style of Randy Rhoads. In a 2022 interview with Sea of Tranquility, Romeo would recall practicing daily at that point in his life, by playing along to the Ozzy Osbourne albums and others. Romeo has listed a number of individual players as influences to his style of playing, but considers Rhoads, Al Di Meola, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Uli Jon Roth to be his primary influences. Other players include Marty Friedman, Shawn Lane and Ritchie Blackmore. In terms of bands, Romeo has listed Rush, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Kansas as sources of inspiration. Romeo is also a fan of composers of film scores, such as Bernard Herrmann and Hans Zimmer. In particular, Romeo has been influenced by the works of John Williams. Equipment Romeo's first serious guitar was a white Kramer Pacer, and he has also used Fender Stratocasters. Romeo began his career