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The Italian priest and choral conductor, Massimo Palombella, was ordained a priest for the Salesian Congregation in 1996. Founder and Artistic Director of the Rome Interuniversity Choir, he worked in university pastoral ministry for the Diocese of Rome from 1995 to 2010. He served as a lecturer in Sacramental Theology, Eschatology, and “Music and Liturgy” at the Pontifical Salesian University and at the “Guido Cantelli” Conservatory of Novara, within the postgraduate specialization program in Sacred Music, teaching Liturgical Composition, Roman Polyphony, and Legislation of Sacred Music. He also taught Languages of Music at the University of Rome “La Sapienza.” At the Turin Conservatory and at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Urbe, he taught Liturgy.
From 1998 to 2010, Massimo Palombella served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal of Music for the Liturgy Armonia di Voci, published by ElleDiCi. From 2010 to 2019, he was Maestro Director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI and reconfirmed in 2015 by Pope Francis. Under his direction,the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir began recording exclusively with the record label Deutsche Grammophon, winning the 2016 Echo Klassik Award in the category “Choral Recording of the Year” for the CD Cantate Domino. The Sistine Chapel Choir and the Music of the Popes.
From 2021 until June 2025, Massimo Palombella held the position of Maestro Director ofthe Musical Chapel of Milan Cathedral. Under his leadership, in addition to ensuring the full performance of the proper Ambrosian Chant at all liturgical celebrations, the Choir became a regular presence in concert series and was invited to perform at Teatro alla Scala, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, for the performance of the Missa Papae Marcelli.
Since June 2025, he has served as Superintendent of the Musical Heritage of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano |
