Spanish pianist, composer and band and orchestra conductor.

He was born in 1869 in Inca (Mallorca) and died in April of 1951 in Palma de Mallorca. Son of Joan Balaguer Nicolau and Catalina Vallès Bestard. Nephew of the famous opera bass Francisco Mateu Nicolau, known by the artistic name of Francesco Uetam, whom he accompanied on some tours and recitals. He began his musical studies with Joan Torrandell in Inca and continued them in Palma with Guillem Massot. He completed his education with José Tragó and Pedro Fontanilla in Madrid. There, he was choirmaster at the Teatro Real for two seasons, and in 1896 he won first piano prize at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Declamation.

He returned to Mallorca, where he created a music academy. Among his pupils he had musicians such as Antoni Torrandell, Jaume Albertí, Jaume Roig, Miquel Negre, Sebastià Ramis, Joana Barceló, or Francesc Capllonch.

From 1897 until 1920 he was Major Musician of the Regimiento de Infantería Regional de Baleares nº 1, a group with which he premiered the paso doble "Mi debut" (1897). He directed the Banda del Regimiento de Infantería de Inca from 1920 until 1937, when at the request of Commander Benjumeda del Rey he created the Banda-Orquesta Militar de las Baleares. That same year, he asked Manuel de Falla for the name of some musical publishers to acquire certain works by the composer, which he then included in the concerts he directed in 1938 and 1939. In 1931 he was appointed corresponding academic of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. Also, during the 1940s, he was a founding member of the Balearic Philharmonic Orchestra and the Symphonic Orchestra of Majorca. He left his family home to the city of Palma de Mallorca, so that the headquarters of the Círculo de Bellas Artes de Palma could be located there. Among other works, he composed: "Ave María" (1892), "Himno al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús" (1897), "Ñoñerías", or "Himno del Regimiento de Infantería de Inca".

José Balaguer cedió la casa familiar, Can Balaguer, a la ciudad de Palma de Mallorca para que se ubicase allí la sede del Círculo de Bellas Artes de Palma.