John William Duarte (1919–2004) was a British composer, guitarist and writer, born in Sheffield and raised from infancy in Manchester. He worked as a professional chemist for decades, only turning to music full-time in 1969, after being encouraged by Len Williams (father of guitarist John Williams). Largely self-taught on the guitar, Duarte sustained close friendships with Andrés Segovia, whom he knew for 39 years, and with Ida Presti, for whose duo with Alexandre Lagoya he wrote several works.

Duarte composed over 150 works for guitar and lute, many commissioned with Arts Council support, and made numerous arrangements, including of Bach’s cello suites. His English Suite, Op. 31, blends Renaissance lute-style writing with 20th-century harmony and was performed and recorded by Segovia. He was also a prolific critic and annotator, receiving a Grammy Award for his liner notes to a reissue of Segovia’s early recordings.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Duarte