Biography
José Lidón (1748–1827) was a Spanish composer, organist and conductor. He was born in Bejar, Salamanca on June 2, 1748 and died in Madrid on February 11, 1827.
Lidón entered the Royal Chapel of Madrid as an altar boy in 1758, having José de Nebra and organist Antonio de Literes as teachers. In 1763 he won a position in the Malaga Cathedral, a position he did not get to fill.[1]
From 1768 he was an organist at the Orense Cathedral and the Madrid Royal Chapel, working in the service first of King Charles IV and afterwards Ferdinand VII. After the return of Ferdinand VII to the throne, he interceded for his friend and fellow composer John Oliver[disambiguation needed].
From 1805 until his death he was Kapellmeister of the German Royal Chapel.
His work is scattered across multiple archives including the Ciudad Real Cathedral, the National Library of Madrid and the Orihuela Cathedral, Valencia. He composed more than seventy pieces of sacred music (oratories, psalms, Holy Week lamentations) and sonatas and fugues for organ, plus a string quartet.
In Bejar there is a square in honor of this illustrious citizen.
