Gaetano Capocci was a composer, organist and maestro

Maestro

Maestro is a title of extreme respect given to a master musician. The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera. This is associated with the ubiquitous use of Italian vocabulary for classical music terms...

.

Capocci was born in Rome. As a boy he studied the organ under Sante Pascoli, organist of St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...

, Rome, and he completed his musical studies under Valentino Fioravanti

Valentino Fioravanti

Valentino Fioravanti was a celebrated Italian composer of opera buffas.One of the best opera buffa composers between Domenico Cimarosa and Gioacchino Rossini. He was especially popular in Naples, and was the first in Italy to introduce spoken dialogue in the French manner in his works, sometimes...

 and Francesco Cianciarelli. In 1831 he was granted a diploma as organist by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, based in Italy.It is based at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, and was founded by the papal bull, Ratione congruit, issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints prominent in Western...

, and, in 1833, he received a diploma in the art of composition. Almost immediately he was appointed organist of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major , known also by other names, is the largest Roman Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy.There are other churches in Rome dedicated to Mary, such as Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, but the greater size of the...

, in 1839. In 1855 he was appointed maestro direttore of the Cappella Pia of the Lateran

Lateran

Lateran and Laterano are the shared names of several architectural projects throughout Rome. The properties were once owned by the Lateranus family of the former Roman Empire...

, where he worked for the remainder of his life. Solely devoted to church music, Capocci composed numerous masses and motet

Motet

In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...

s. He also wrote two oratorio

Oratorio

An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...

s, Battista and Assalonne. His chief fame rested on his Responsori for Holy Week

Holy Week

Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...

. At San Salvatore in Lauro

San Salvatore in Lauro

San Salvatore in Lauro is a Catholic church in central Rome, Italy, located in the rione Ponte. It is the "national church" of the marchigiani, the inhabitants of the Marche region of Italy...

 he taught castrati Alessandro Moreschi

Alessandro Moreschi

Alessandro Moreschi was the most famous castrato singer of the late 19th century, and the only castrato of the classic bel canto tradition to make solo sound recordings.-Life:...

 and Giovanni Cesari

Giovanni Cesari

Giovanni Cesari was an Italian singer with a soprano acuto, or high soprano voice.Together with Alessandro Moreschi, Domenico Salvatori and Domenico Mustafà, Cesari was a famous castrato singer of the late 19th century. Born in the town of Frosinone, he was dropped off at an orphanage in 1852 by...

. His son Filippo (b. 11 May 1840) succeeded him as maestro at the Lateran in 1898.