He was born in Brihuega (Guadalajara). Orphaned at 8 years old, Alonso Xuarez, chapel master of the Cathedral of Cuenca, took charge of his upbringing and education.

Following the custom of the time, he traveled as organist to several cities: Zaragoza, Seville, Burgo of Osma and Palencia. In this last town he remained for five years, increasing his fame, until he was named by Carlos II as organist of the Real Chapel on September 23 1691.

In 1702 he was given the responsibility for all the musical activities of the court, including all things religious and theatrical. In 1706 Felipe V, when recovering Madrid, sent Durón into exile because he had manifested an allegiance openly to the house of Austria.

He settled in France, first in Bayona and then in Pau. In 1714 he returned to Spain lending his services at estates of the nobility like the Count of Salvatierra and the Duke of Osuna. In 1715 he returned to Bayona as chaplain to the Dowager Queen Mariana of Neoburgo. The following year, he died suffering from tuberculosis.

The Jesuit, Antonio Eximeno, accused him wrongly of being responsible for the decadence of Spanish music and having introduced the Italian style.

His production as a composer was very extensive, with a different treatment as religious works with text in Latin (primarily polychoral works of a scholastic, contrapuntal style) or works with Castilian text which were more homophonic, reflecting the meaning of the text. His plays are vastly important.

Eight works survive of the more than ten that he composed. Of these eight plays, two have only been transcribed and published by the Spanish musicologist, Antonio Martín Moreno: the zarzuela "Salir el amor del mundo" (To Leave the Love of the World) (1696) and the scenic opera "La guerra de los gigantes" (The War of the Giants) (1710).