 Considered among the most authoritative interpreters of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Bartolucci led the Sistine Chapel Choir in performances worldwide, and also directed numerous concerts with the Choir of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, including a tour of the former Soviet Union.On 20 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the College of Cardinals.Because Bartolucci was over the age of 80, he was never eligible to participate in any papal conclave.