The organ of Santa María Tiltepec appears to be the oldest in Oaxaca. A reference from 1703 notes that the “indios del pueblo de Tiltepec” made payments to a Dominican friar in Coixtlahuaca for the construction of an organ for their church. This organ and its 16th-century church with the famous carved façade are two of Oaxaca’s most fascinating colonial monuments. The organ seems to have been expensive, evident by the sumptuously carved rather than painted case decoration, yet it was not financed by a wealthy donor, but rather by contributions from the local natives. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the organ builder and his background. Interventions from more than three centuries complicate distinguishing the original construction from the modifications. However, it is certain that the basic look of the organ with its characteristic Oaxaca hips has not changed. 

Special characteristics of the Tiltepec organ: 

• This is the only stationary organ in Oaxaca with doors on the façade to protect the keyboard.

• It has an interior 8´ reed (trompeta real) and an 8´ stopped flute (bardón), but it lacks a principal flautado 8´ because the case is not tall enough. It has no horizontal clarin trumpets. The four tallest pipes, two of the trompeta real and two of the bardón, protrude through the roof on the left side of the case. 

• Seven drawstops are located on either side of the interior of the key desk and connected to horizontal rather than vertical trundles. Four hanging iron levers at the top moved from side to side to control the flautado and quincena stops. 

• Three accessory stops include cascabeles, small pipes sounding like jangling bells, similar to the tlaxaqueña stop in Tlaxiaco, a drum stop on the right side, and a bird stop on the left (in reverse order from the norm). The drum stop consisted of three rather than two stopped wooden pipes.

• Maltese crosses are painted on the first pallet of the windchest and the first roller of the roller board. The façade pipes are not original, but the original pipes were probably decorated and the central pipe would have had a Maltese cross.

• Two carved faces in profile with European features and blond hair jut out from the sides of the case; they blend into the baroque carving of the organ, but their history and meaning are a mystery. 

• Pages torn out of a book of Gregorian chant were used to patch leaks in the wind trunk, horrifying to modern eyes, but due to the scarcity of paper and the high cost of sheep skin. 

Notations inside the case cite some of the repairs over the years. In 1872 and again in 1886, the organ was intervened by the same organ builder, most likely one of the Cano brothers.  The keyboard was rebuilt in the 19th or 20th century with beautiful carved concentric semi-circles inscribed on the key faces, bone covers, and rather long ebony sharps like piano keys. The name of the organ builder Juan Silva from Guerrero appears without a date, but it was probably around 1927 when he also tuned and repaired the organ in the nearby community of San Mateo Yucucuí. During the mid-20th century, the seven lowest pipes of the principal rank were roughly cut to eliminate the short octave and raise the pitch to 440 Hz. The organ was played by the Victoria Carreón brothers from Sinaxtla, and various others, including some from the community. The brothers may have recommended or supervised the modifications of this organ and others. The organ was no longer played from the 1970s, when the bellows were moved because of a restoration project in the choir loft. In 2002, restorers repainted the case, based on its faded existing tones, using paint left over from another project in the church. Although their decision was controversial, it was just one more intervention of many over the centuries to keep the organ looking attractive and to prevent its deterioration.