It was a dream that began to come true in December 2021, when Cardinal Omella blessed the M-shaped organ named after Montserrat Torrent. The Barcelona organist premiered it then, but the instrument built by the Blancafort workshop was not yet finished. It lacked a final phase that, once completed, allowed this Monday the official inauguration of a magnificent organ with 50 registers, 3,454 pipes, and three keyboards installed in the choir tribune of the Oratory of Sant Felip Neri, in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. "We are in the heart of the city, in the heart of Catalonia," said the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, at the beginning of an event that was also a tribute to Montserrat Torrent, "a key figure in Catalan culture, a source of national pride." "This organ is the project of her life, because it was planned sixty years ago, but nothing ends now; a new stage begins now: to bring this fantastic instrument to life," explained Albert Torrens, commissioner of the Year Montserrat Torrent and biographer of the organist.

It was a dream that began to come true December 2021, when Cardinal Omella blessed the M-shaped organ named after Montserrat Torrent. The Barcelona organist already premiered it then, but the instrument built by the Blancafort workshop was not yet finished. A final phase was missing which, once completed, allowed for the official inauguration this Monday of a magnificent organ with 50 stops, 3,454 pipes, and three keyboards installed in the choir loft of the Oratory of San Felipe Neri, in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. "We are in the heart of the city, in the heart of Catalonia," said the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, at the beginning of an event that was also a tribute to Montserrat Torrent, "a key figure in Catalan culture, a pride of the country." "This organ is the project of her life, because it was conceived sixty years ago, but nothing ends now; a new stage begins now: to bring activity to this fantastic instrument," explained Albert Torrens, commissioner of the Year Montserrat Torrent and biographer of the organist.

"I'm not going to talk about the centenary, but about three months; I'm so young," says Montserrat Torrent, the grande dame of the organ. A smile spreads through the crowded press room of the Department of Culture, where the Year of Montserrat Torrent was presented this Tuesday. "Everything that has happened in my life is providential. Three months ago, I had a very, very serious case of pneumonia, and they weren't sure I would pull through. The doctors treating me will refer me to a psychiatrist once they see all the concerts planned for my 100th birthday," she added. She herself has been actively involved in planning the events for this centenary, which, in addition to concerts, includes exhibitions and conferences in Catalonia, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany; a string of activities involving many of the Barcelona organist's students. There are also many festivals that have her prominently featured in their 2026 programs: for example, the Jordi Savall Festival, Peralada, Pascua de Cervera, Bachcelona, ​​and Espurnes Barroques, among others.