José Joaquim dos Santos

José Joaquim dos Santos (? 1747–1801) was a Portuguese music teacher and late Baroque-period composer who specialised in writing sacred music. He was listed by two authors as being among Portugal's "most outstanding eighteenth-century composers." He was born in Senhor da Pedra near Óbidos to Manuel Gonçalves dos Santos and Vitória Luísa and entered Lisbon's Royal Patriarchal Music Seminary (Real Seminário de Música da Patriarcal de Lisboa) on 24 June 1754. After graduating on 1 January 1763, Santos accepted an offer to remain on staff to teach solfège and was later appointed as professor (mestre) of harmony, counterpoint and composition.