José
de Orejón y Aparicio

José de Orejón y Aparicio (Huacho 1706? ~ Lima, 1765) is considered the main composer of the Peruvian Baroque. His parents were Esteban de Orejón and Victoria de Aparicio. He studied in Lima, first with Tomás de Torrejón y Velasco, and then with Roque Ceruti, a Milanese composer brought to Lima by Viceroy Manuel de Oms y Santa Pau, and one of the main responsible for introducing the Italian musical style of the Baroque into the viceroyalty. He was also an organist. There are few data on the biography of José de Orejón y Aparicio; it is known that he was ordained a priest and spent most of his life in Lima. He was the first musician of mestizo origin to hold the coveted position of chapel master at the Cathedral of Lima.