RIP Gianni Ferrio

Gianni Ferrio, one of Italian films greatest composers died today in Italy at the age of 88. He was born Giovanni Achille Ferrio in Vicenza, Veneto, Italy and studied at conservatories of Vicenza and Venice. He started working at the end of the 1950s, and was active as a film composer of film, signing about 120 scores especially for Spaghetti westerns and sex comedies. His piece "One Silver Dollar", the main theme of the sound-track of Giorgio Ferroni's Un dollaro bucato, was later included in the sound-track of Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. Ferrio was also well known for his work in pop music, particularly for his collaboration with Mina, for whom he composed, among others, "Parole parole". He was the official conductor for Sanremo Music Festival in 1959 and 1962 and for the Eurovision Song Contest 1965. He also took part, as conductor, in several important Italian TV-shows. Gianni was married to actress Alba Arnova [1930- ] since 1956.

 
Ferrio composed over two dozen scores for European westerns including seven scores for the recently passed Giuliano Gemma.