The new Pope, Leo XIV, is a pianist who can play fiendish Bartók piano solos
10 July 2025, 13:48
It has been revealed that Pope Leo XIV is an instrumentalist.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
During his papacy, we have already heard Pope Leo XIV sing, but did you know he is also a pianist?
As the Pope began his summer break in Castel Gandolfo, a town in Alban Hills near Rome, his long-time friend Father Alejandro Moral Antón discussed what he might be doing while on vacation.
It turns out, he likes to play piano.
Read more: Pope Francis reveals he loves Bach’s Passions and Italian classical-pop
“He studied music when he was little, and reads sheet music,” Father Moral has said, “A few days after the election, he received a famous Italian orchestra conductor, and Leo XIV played a not-easy piece by Béla Bartók on the piano.”
Pope Leo is not the first Pope to play the piano. Pope Benedict XVI also took to the keys in moments of calm, and there is even footage of him playing Schubert’s Impromptu No. 2.
Pope plays Schubert
Pope Leo has spoken out about his belief in the value of music in worship.
While paying tribute to composer Palestrina on the 500th anniversary of his birth, Pope Leo discussed the significance of the composer’s music.
“Polyphony,” he said, “is not merely a musical technique; it is a form imbued with theological meaning. It takes the sacred text and ‘clothes it with fitting melody’ so that it may better reach the understanding of the faithful.”
Other popes have expressed their love of music beyond its religious relevance. Pope Francis was vocal about his love of Mozart and Wagner, and was particularly specific about his favourite versions: he was particularly fond of a live recording of the Ring cycle, conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler in 1950 at La Scala in Milan.
Read more: La Scala bans flip-flops and shorts in beachwear crackdown at top opera house
He also had a favourite record shop, called Stereosound, which is a family-owned shop near the Pantheon in Rome. His personal collection was said to include Elvis Presley gospel recordings, tangos by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, and albums by the French chanson singer Edith Piaf.
