José Ignacio Quintón was a pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

 and composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 of danzas

Music of Puerto Rico

The music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by the Spanish, African, Taíno Indians, France, and the United States, and has become very popular across the Caribbean and across the globe...

.

Early years

Quintón was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico

Caguas, Puerto Rico

Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....

, into a musically talented family. His father a Frenchman

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 by the name of Juan Bautista Quintón y Luzón, was a graduate of the Conservatory of Music of Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. The elder Quintón was also a composer and organist

Organist

An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...

 who became his son's first music teacher. When Quintón was two years old, his family moved to the town of Coamo

Coamo, Puerto Rico

Coamo is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern region, north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo is spread over 10 wards and Coamo Pueblo...

. In Coamo, he took piano lessons with Ernesto del Castillo. In 1890, when he was nine years old, he performed his first concert. When he was only eleven years old he accompanied the famed violinist Brindis de Salas, on the piano in a concert and was highly acclaimed by de Salas. Quintón continued to study music and was the director of his school's band. During his spare time he gave piano and violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

 lessons.

By 1917, Quintón had taught himself to read English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

. This enabled him to read and study the English language music magazines of the time thus, becoming informed on the styles and compositions of Debussy, Ravel

Maurice Ravel

Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...

 and other composers.

Danzas

The first danzas that Quintón composed were "Confía" (Trust), "Mi estrella" (My Star) and "Amor imposible" (Impossible Love). He received many awards and the recognition of his fellow musicians for the compositions of Cuarteto para instrumentos de cuerdas" (Quartet for string instruments), "Variaciones sobre un tema de Humel" (Variations of a theme of Humel) and many others. He also wrote "Misa de Requiem" as a tribute to the late composer of danzas, Angel Mislán

Angel Mislan

Ángel Mislan , was a composer of Puerto Rican Danzas.-Early years:Mislan was born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico where he was raised and educated. The small town is located in the western part of Puerto Rico. His father was a music teacher who gave private lessons on the use of musical instruments...

.

His greatest composition was the danza "El coquí". In this danza he was able to simulate the sound of the Coquí

Coquí

The Common Coquí or Coquí is a frog native to Puerto Rico belonging to the Eleutherodactylus genus of the Leptodactylidae family. The species is named for the loud sound the males make at night. This sound serves two purposes...

, which is a tiny frog only found in Puerto Rico with a unique call, with the notes of the band's instruments.

Legacy

José Ignacio Quintón died on December 19, 1925 in the town of Coamo where he is buried. The town of Coamo has honored his memory by naming one of its principal avenues after him and by conserving the house in which he lived in as a historical landmark. The José I. Quintón Academy of Music is located in Coamo.

José Ignacio Quintón scores at Cuatro 40 Ediciones

• Danzas Puertorriqueñas

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans