José Durán was a composer of opera and Spanish religious music, who was active in the transition between Baroque and Classicism. Since 1755 he was Kapellmeister of the Palace of the Countess of Barcelona, and since 1780 in the Cathedral of Barcelona. With clear Italian influence, he was a pupil of Francesco Durante in Naples. When he returned to Barcelona, became choirmaster of the Marquis of Los Velez and also in the cathedral. He directed operas often running at the Teatro de la Santa Cruz, and contributed to strengthen the taste for the italian lyrical drama. He was the author of the first opera written by a Catalan which premiered in Catalonia: Antigonus, released on July 10, 1760 at the Teatro de la Santa Cruz, with Italian libretto, as was common in that time.