Juan [Xoan] Montes Capón (13/04/1840 - 24/06/1899), a Spanish composer who was born, worked and died in Lugo. Studied for a priest but became a self taught composer. When he was ten years old he was admitted to the Seminary in his native town. He studied Latin, Philosophy and Theology and soon became very keen on music. The vice-rector of the Seminary put him in charge of a choir. In 1863, he finished his ecclesiastic studies but he gave up his priestry career to devote himself totally to music. Until 1890 he was the conductor of the band of his town making many concerts. In 1879, he founded the Choral Society in Lugo and got the first prize of a contest that took place in Ferrol. As he was a self-taught person he had already written compositions when he was at the Seminary. He wrote carols, prayers hymns and quite a big score titled Las siete palabras de Cristo en la Cruz ( The seven words of Christ at the cross). In 1888, he got the first prize in Vigo with a composition for band titled Alborada Gallega. He also got prizes in A Coruña with the composition As lixeiras andoriñas (ballad), and Sonata Gallega Descriptiva for violin, viola and cello. He also won prizes in another concert in Vigo (1891) with the composition Aires Populares de Galicia and Nocturnos, in León (1892) with a composition for voices titled Himno and Barcarola for choral society; in Pontevedra with Romanzas Gallegas and in La Habana (1892) with the ballad Negra Sombra. As the conductor of the choral society he got prizes in contest all over Spain with compositions such as Cuarteto de arco, Misa, Las siete palabras, Te Deum, Oficio de Difuntos, Misa de Requiem, Pregaria á Virxen do Rosario, Ave María Stela and other prayers, hymns and Masses. Within this profane production we can mention compositions such as Himnos, O bico, Rapaciña si quisieres, Pasodoble de trompetas, Aires populares de Galicia and so on.