ORGANART MEDIA - Key Persons

Tadeo Ortega was born in Burgos in 1749 but moved to the neighbouring province of Palencia before he started working as an organ-builder in 1772. The Capillas organ is almost certainly the first instrument for which he took total responsibility. For much of his life, he lived in the neighbouring villageof Fuentes de Nava, where two of his late two-manual instruments survive in original condition. A full restoration of one of them (in the Church of San Pedro) was begun in October 2005 and is being carried out by the French organ-builder Bernard Cogez. The other (in the Church of Santa María) is still playable, and is to be fully restored once the restoration of the church is completed. In all, Tadeo Ortega built or rebuilt some 25 instruments during his working life, all the in the Castilian region of Tierra de Campos, the last being in Castromocho in 1821. He died in Palencia in 1823. He was the last of the great organ-builders of Castile, although little celebrated during his life. His instruments, however, are of exceptional quality. They are both mechanically robust (several are still working reliably in virtually original, unrebuilt condition) and tonally impressive.