Joaquín Valverde Durán

Joaquín Valverde Durán (27 February 1846 in Badajoz – 17 March 1910 in Madrid) was a Spanish composer, conductor and flautist.

He studied at the Madrid Conservatory under José Aranguren (harmony), Pedro Sarmiento (flute) and Emilio Arrieta (composition).

[1] He was a brilliant flautist, playing in military bands and theatre orchestras from the age of 13, and winning first prize in flute at the Conservatory in 1867.

[2] His reputation as a composer was made, however, with a series of zarzuelas (light operas), written in collaboration with Federico Chueca.

Their masterpiece was La gran vía (Madrid, 2 July 1886), which was played in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, New York, Vienna, and many other theatres in Europe.