Composer Ennio Morricone dies at 92

The Italian composer created more than half a thousand soundtracks with cinema masterpieces such as 'The Mission', 'Novecento', 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', 'Cinema Paradiso', 'The Hateful Eight' or 'The Untouchables of Eliot Ness'.

The industry says goodbye to one of the best and most prolific composers in the world: Ennio Morricone (Rome, November 10, 1928). The Italian musician has died at the age of 92 having signed more than half a thousand melodies throughout his sixty-year career.

Morricone was trained in all the specialties of musical composition and In 1961 he made his film debut with the movie soundtrack The federal, by Luciano Salce. Later, he gained international fame with the music of Sergio Leone's western films, such as For a handful of dollars y The good, the bad and the ugly, among others.

The composer wrote chamber music, symphonic pieces, operas and hundreds of songs for light music and pop artists. But, without a doubt It was in music for film and television where he stood out the most. signing the soundtrack of films like Twentieth century (1976), The mission (1986), The Untouchables by Eliot Ness (1987) Cinema Paradiso (1988), Frantic (1988) y The star man (1995), among many others. I was currently working on music for a movie animation, an adaptation of He canterville ghost

Knight of the Legion of Honor of France and Commander, Grand Officer and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, he has received 27 Gold and 7 Platinum Records and numerous awards: several BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Grammy, David de Donatello, the Golden Lion for an entire career in Venice (1995) and the Polar of Music (Sweden, 2010). In 2007 he was awarded the honorary Oscar for his entire career and in 2016 he won the Oscar and his third Golden Globe for the soundtrack of The Hateful Eight by Tarantino and premiered his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2019, Pope Francis awarded him the Pontifical Gold Medal and in 2020 he received the Camille Award from the European Alliance of Authors and Composers for lifetime achievement.

On June 5, he and his colleague were granted John Williams he Princess of Asturias Award of the Arts. Morricone assured upon hearing the news of this recognition that "I have chosen to write music as a form of communication. Music, in fact, without anyone listening to it, has no meaning. I have worked my whole life trying to improve, trying to never stand still, to never sit down and look back at everything I have done."

"Today is a day to reflect and think about the path we have traveled, to feel with humility and gratitude that, perhaps during my work, I have been able to reach people and share with them the unique experience that is music. This is what the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts means to me," he added.