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Massimo Palombella

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Massimo Palombella was born in 1967 in Turin and is an Italian priest and choral conductor. He joined the Salesians of Don Bosco and was ordained a priest in 1995. Alongside his studies of philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Salesian University he studied musicology at the Turin conservatory. He then worked in Rome in student chaplaincy and founded the Roman Interuniversity Choir, which he led as its first conductor. From 1995 he provided the music for the Pope's meetings with the Roman university community.

Music and breakthrough

In October 2010 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him musical director of the Sistine Chapel Choir, the Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina, as successor to Giuseppe Liberto. That choir had previously been led by Domenico Bartolucci and Lorenzo Perosi. In 2017 Pope Francis made him an adviser to the Congregation for Divine Worship. He led the choir for eight years. At the end of 2024 he was ordered to repay 127,000 euros that he is alleged to have taken from the choir.

Influence

With the Sistine choir he recorded, among others, Palestrina in 2016, Veni Domine: Advent & Christmas at the Sistine Chapel in 2017 and O crux benedicta: Lent and Holy Week at the Sistine Chapel in 2019. Those recordings bring centuries-old church music, such as the polyphony of Palestrina, to a large audience of listeners outside the church.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a piece by Palestrina on the album of that name and notice how the voices enter in turn and weave through one another, without instruments.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists