Biography
Ennio Morricone (1928 - 2020) was an Italian composer, arranger and conductor, who has written music for more than 500 films and television series, as well as many contemporary works of classical music.
Morricone was born in Rome on November 10, 1928, his father was a professional trumpeter who played in orchestras and was his first teacher. He taught him to read music and to play the trumpet. He entered the Saint Cecilia Conservatory in 1940 at the age of 12. He studied trumpet, composition and choral music. His studies were completed in 1954; he received his Diploma in Composition with a grade of 9.5/10.
He began his career as a successful studio arranger for RCA and became world famous by composing music for Italian westerns such as For A Handful of Dollars, Duel In El Paso, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. From the late 1970s, he distinguished himself in Hollywood, composing music for several Oscar-winning films, including Days of Heaven, The Mission, The Immortals, Cinema Paradiso, Bugsy. In the 21st century, Morricone's music was reused on television and in films such as: Kill Bill (2003), Death Proof (2007), Despicable Me (2009) and Django: The Punisher (2012). In 2007, he was awarded an honorary Oscar “for his magnificent and multifaceted contribution to the art of film music.
He died on July 6, 2020, in a hospital in Italy, where he had been after a fall that fractured his hip.