Julián Arcas (1832 – 16 February 1882) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer. He was born in Almería and died in Malaga Spain.
During the decade 1860–70 he performed all over Europe. He even performed for the Duke of Wellington and the Duke of Cambridge in 1862. The young Francisco Tárrega listened to him in 1863 in Castellón and played for him after the performance, on the request of Tárrega’s father. Arcas then invited Tárrega to study with him in Barcelona. Tarrega plagiarized, deliberately or not, a number of Arcas's pieces including Fantasia sobre los Motivos de La Traviata. Arcas wrote fifty two original works and transcriptioned thirty pieces for the guitar, including waltzes, variations, preludes and dances. Thirty were published in Barcelona by Vidal y Roger and fifty in Madrid by Unión Musical Española.
Interest in Arcas was sparked by his teaching of Tarrega and the discovery of Tarrega's plagiarism. Recently, Arcas has become more well known due to the beauty of his music and the release of his complete works.
Through the work of the guitar maker Antonio de Torres Jurado, Arcas influenced the development of the classical guitar, particularly with regard to the design of the soundboard. Arcas's major career accomplishments include: the appointment to Honorary Master of the Conservatory of Madrid, being Knighted in the Royal Order of Charles III and Performing for Queen Elizabeth.
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