José María Alvira (18 June 1864 – 31 July 1938) was a Spanish composer, director of Opera, singing teacher, and pianist.
At a young age, he was already showing unusual musical talent, and by eleven he was playing violin for an opera company, for which he wrote Fantasía para violín.
Although since he was small, he showed great liking and aptitudes for the music, he had to follow, by paternal decision, a Law career, which he finished in Madrid in 1885.
He also ran the Singing Academy with extraordinary success, not only in the formation of notable Spanish artists, but in the advice of the most famous of foreigners who, taking advantage of his performances in the country, came to the competent direction of Alvira to review their repertoires, strengthen or retrieve abilities or correct deficiencies.
His great knowledge of the demands and difficulties of vocalization, his vast culture and the perfect command of several languages, came together in Alvira for this attempt, to carry it out, and paid off for the excellent versions he made and remained unpublished, of The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Tosca, La traviata, Prince Igor, La Africana, The Master Singers of Nürnberg y Rigoletto.