Joaquín Malats y Miarons (5 March 1872 – 22 October 1912) was a Spanish pianist and composer, born in San Andrés de Palomar near Barcelona and died in Barcelona. He studied piano at the Madrid Conservatory, winning first prize, and later continued his studies in Paris. He built a career as a touring concert pianist across Europe and the Americas.

Malats is remembered today almost entirely for a single piece, his “Serenata Española” for piano, which Francisco Tárrega transcribed for guitar. In its guitar form the piece became one of the most frequently performed short character pieces in the classical guitar repertoire, far outliving Malats’s original career as a concert pianist.

Sources:

• https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaqu%C3%ADn_Malats