Jose Julian Jiménez (b. 9 January 1823, d. 1880) was a Cuban violinist and composer. He was born into a musical family and was brother-in-law to composer Catalina Berroa and father of cellist Nicasio and pianist Lico Jiménez.[1] His daughters Inés and Arcadia Jiménez were singers.[2]
Jose Julian Jiménez was born in Trinidad, Las Villas, Cuba, the son of orchestra conductor Francisco Nicasio Jiménez.[3] He studied with Luigi Arditi in Havana,[4] continued his studies in harmony, violin and piano in Leipzig, and later played violin in the Gewandhause Orchestra. With his sons, he formed one of the first all black ensembles, billed as "Das Negertrio",[5] and successfully toured in Europe, the Americas and in Cuba, both as a soloist and with the ensemble, playing mostly 19th-century Romantic compositions.[6] Jiménez also founded a Cuban dance band in 1849, and composed primarily danzas and guarachas. He died in Havana.[7]