Born in Manresa, Catalonia, in 1929, Josep M. Mestres Quadreny has been one of the most important reformers and promoters of contemporary music in Catalonia. His active interest in revitalising culture in the fifties and sixties led him to take part in private cultural activism initiatives such as La Ricarda and Club 49. Meanwhile, his creative affinity and friendship with artists such as Joan Brossa, Joan Miró, Pere Portabella, Carles Santos and Moisès Villèlia led to the creation of collective works. Quadreny’s music is characterised by the constant renewal of sonority and the use of new composition techniques and instruments. His work encompasses many different areas, from conventional scores to graphic scores, the use of computers, compositions based on mathematical algorithms and theories of chance. Aside from being one of the first musicians in Spain to use computers to generate compositions, he was also a pioneer in the construction of graphic scores that explored possibilities beyond the traditional staff.

He premiered his first composition at the 5th Bayreuth International Youth Music Festival in Germany in 1953. Since then, his compositions have been performed on stages around the world. He has also published books with Joan Brossa and Perejaume, and composed music for filmmakers. He has written numerous essays on music, including Pensar i fer música (2000).