The Cuban organist, orchestra director, and composer Yudania Gómez Heredia visited the Royal Palace of Madrid and was captivated by the organ of the Royal Chapel, a gem of 18th-century Spanish musical heritage, admitting that she would love to have the opportunity to play it.
The visit was documented by the official account of Patrimonio Nacional, the institution that protects the valuable instrument.
"We had the pleasure of receiving Yudania Gómez Heredia at the Royal Palace of Madrid. She is a professional organist, conductor, and composer. And she is currently directing Rosalía's Lux Tour! We showed her the organ of the Royal Chapel. She was truly excited and gave us a masterclass on the technical features of this musical jewel from the 18th century," says the text in the video.
The organ of the Royal Chapel is a work originally constructed by Leonardo Fernández Dávila between 1756 and 1759, and completed in 1778 by the Mallorcan organ builder Jorge Bosch.
Yudania, who leads the Heritage Orchestra and is at the helm of Rosalía's Lux Tour 2026, a tour featuring 42 concerts in 17 countries, offered an impromptu masterclass in the video on the technical nuances of the instrument.
"It's an Iberian organ, quite old. As you can see, it has the Spanish trumpets, which is what we call them especially in Germany," the Cuban explained before the cameras.
She highlighted the exceptional number of stops on the instrument, something that, according to her, is not common in other organs: "You don't find that type of stops in Germany; rather, you find them here specifically in the Iberian organ."
It also highlighted the instrument's sonic versatility. At the end of the journey, the Cuban orchestra conductor could not hide her wish: «I would love to play this organ, it is very original, it is unique and it would be an incredible opportunity for me».
What remains uncertain is whether Patrimonio Nacional will grant that permit or not.
Access to the instrument is extremely restricted: it is incorporated into the upper choir of the Royal Chapel, and its use entirely depends on an institutional decision by Patrimonio Nacional, which schedules it in very selective cycles such as the XIX Organ Cycle 2026.
Until June 2023, the general public had never been allowed to approach the choir to appreciate the instrument up close, which illustrates the level of protection surrounding this heritage piece.
The post sparked a flood of comments from followers who directly urged the institution and the Ministry of Culture of Spain to give the Cuban musician an opportunity.
"It is one of the greatest experts in the world, and when she explains the Baroque works, their scales, harmonies, and all the analysis of the pieces... there surely is no better candidate on the planet to play that organ, please give her the opportunity to do so," wrote one of the followers.
Another comment requested an institutional event: "I hope you give Yudi the chance to play the organ, especially at some institutional event with the countries of Hispanic America. It would be fantastic."
Born in Santa Clara in 1994, Yudania joined the Lux Tour after being personally contacted by Rosalía, and has also conducted the Mitteldeutsche Kammerphilharmonie (Central Germany Chamber Philharmonic), the Stuttgart State Opera, and the ¡Chineke! Orchestra.
For now, Patrimonio Nacional has not publicly responded to the request from its own followers, and the question remains unanswered: Will Spain open the doors of its heritage jewel to the Cuban?
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