The Vatican's Catalan organist: 'the role of the organ is to elevate our souls to our Lord' 

Josep Solé is the organist of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Born in Sabadell, just north of Barcelona, Solé is playing a key role at two moments during the inaugural day of the conclave this Wednesday.  

In his role as the basilica's organist, Solé played at the mass preceding the election of the new pope, which began at 10am and aimed to "invoke the Holy Spirit." He will also perform a musical piece in the afternoon at the moment the cardinals are sealed inside the Sistine Chapel to begin voting.  

Josep Solé left Catalonia for Rome in the late 2000s to study for a higher degree in organ performance. In 2009 he got the chance to step in as the Vatican's organist, a position he has held until today. Since 2021, Solé is also responsible for the pontifical celebrations held in the Sistine Chapel.  

After more than 15 years in Rome, Solé said in an interview with the Catalan News Agency (ACN), that he hopes the new pope "will value sacred music" and "be able to sing the mass in Latin." 

Solé also teaches at the Schola Puerorum, a professional choir including fifty male students, both adults and children.  

"Music is an integral part of the liturgy," he affirmed, and he believes the celebrations surrounding the conclave will carry the same spiritual and personal weight as the spoken texts.  

"Liturgy and music are both instruments for drawing closer to God," he concluded. Specifically, he said, the role of the organ "is always to elevate souls to our Lord." 

A heavy responsibility 

One of the responsibilities of the Vatican's organist is to play at major Vatican events. This included the recent funeral of Pope Francis and the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI.  

Solé will also take part in the musical portion of a thanksgiving mass once Francis' successor has been elected, both inside the Sistine Chapel and in St. Peter's Square.  

Regarding his hopes for the new pope, Solé expressed that he would like a pontiff who enjoys sacred music and can sing during celebrations. "All priests should be able to sing the holy mass," he added.  

As for his role in the Vatican, being the largest basilica in the world, Solé pointed out that the "spaces are different and the organ is bigger," adding that "the entire sound needs to be mic'd," because otherwise it wouldn't reach the whole temple.  

In his day-to-day life in the world's smallest state, he said there's a lot of "myth surrounding what's happening inside its walls." Though according to him, the activities that take place are "very transparent."  

Despite not being in direct contact with the popes, Solé tries his best to find out their musical preferences. He said that he discovered Pope Francis' preferences through media and his predecessor Benedict XVI "would call the chapel's director" to request specific pieces, as he was a musician himself.