His father, Vicente Castro, was a deputy congressman; his mother was María de Jesús Herrera.

Castro began his musical career as a concert pianist and composer before finishing his studies.

In 1883 the Government of Mexico chose some of Castro's works to send to Venezuela for the Simon Bolivar centenary and later in 1884 he made a concert tour through United States.

Castro received a scholarship from the Government of Mexico and went to Europe from 1903 to 1906 to give master classes in conservatories in Paris, Brussels, Rome, Milan and Leipzig.

Castro's music for piano tends to be very colourful and sentimental with a kind of virtuosity in the style of Liszt.