Ennio Morricone, who won an Oscar in 2016 for The Hateful Eight, died on Monday (July 6). He was 91 years old.
Morricone passed after being taken to a clinic in Rome because of a fall that caused a hip fracture, Giorgio Asumma, his lawyer, told the Italian news agency ANSA (via Variety).
“We will always remember, with infinite gratitude, the artistic genius of the Maestro #EnnioMorricone,” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte tweeted (in Italian). “It made us dream, feel excited, reflect, writing memorable notes that will remain indelible in the history of music and cinema.”
The Italian Cultural Ministry said it’s “a sad day for culture” and called Morricone “one of the great Italian masters.”
“I was lucky enough to meet him and I will not forget that energy and strength that he was able to transmit even with just one glance. I am close to family members on this sad day,” Dario Franceschini, Italy’s Minister for Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism said in a statement.
Scoring more than 500 films, Morricone’s work on Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 film, The Hateful Eight won an Academy Award. His original scores for Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978), Roland Joffe’s The Mission (1986), Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987), Barry Levinson’s Bugsy (1991) and Giuseppe Tornatore’s Malena (2000) were also nominated for Oscars.
Morricone, whose first instrument was the trumpet, gained a top-10 hit with the theme song for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. He also won the BAFTA and Golden Globe in 1986 for his work on The Mission and was honored with 11 David di Donatello Awards, which are Italy’s most prestigious film awards.
Born and raised in Rome, Morricone also received an honorary Oscar in 2007 for his “magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music.”
In 2007, artists across the musical spectrum including Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, and Metallica, paid tribute to the composer with “We All Love Ennio Morricone,” which you can listen to here.
Morricone is survived by his wife Maria Travia and their four children.
Metallica, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and more have paid tribute to the late composer. See them below.
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