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José Loaysa y Agurto was the maestro of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico during the latter half of the 17th century. His birthdate and birthplace have yet to be determined, but he was a paid member (not a boy) of the Metropolitan Cathedral choir by 1647, which puts his birth at least twenty years earlier. In his history of service with the Cathedral, he was engaged as resident composer, first of villancicos, then as M^o Compositor de dicha Santa Yglesia. Only in 1685 does his name appear as Maestro de Capilla de dicha S^a Iglesia, and that for only a few years: in 1688 his successor, the layman Antonio de Salazar assumes the maestría. Living in nearby Toluca, Loaysa remained in the Cathedral’s service up until his death in 1695.