João Rodrigues Esteves

Who was João Rodrigues Esteves?

João Rodrigues Esteves was a composer of religious music. João Rodrigues Esteves’ surviving works number close to 100. His manuscripts are all housed in Portuguese libraries, mostly in the Lisbon Cathedral archive. He is first mentioned in 1719 when he was brought to Rome under King João V in order to study with composer Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni. By 1726 he was back in Portugal. In 1729 he became a master of music in the Basilica de Santa Maria, which is a chapel attached to the main part of the Lisbon Cathedral.

He wrote numerous works, among others:

Eight-voice mass completed at Rome on 8 September 1721

22 vesper psalms

2 Te Deum

Magnificat in E minor with organ