RIP Gianfranco Plenizio

Italian composer, musical director, conductor, pianist Gianfranco died in Rome today February 7^th, he was 74. Plenizio was born in Sedegliano Udine, Italy on January 10, 1941. He studied piano with Enrico De Angelis Valentini and conduction under Franco Ferrara. After his debut as a pianist, he focused on conducting; among others, he conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, the Orquesta Nacional de España, the Orchestre de chambre de Genève and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. He was conductor on the Euro-western film scores for “Boot Hill” (1968), “El Puro” (1969), “They Call Me Trinity” (1970), “Trinity is STILL My Name” (1971), “White Fang to the Rescue” (1974), “Red Coat” “Cipolla Colr” and “Zorro” and “Who’s Afraid of Zorro” all 1975. Active as a film score composer, Plenizio collaborated with notable directors such as Federico Fellini, Billy Wilder, Mario Monicelli, Pietro Germi, Ermanno Olmi. He composed three scores for Euro-westerns: “Garter Colt” (1968), “Who’s Afraid of Zorro” and “Django Strikes Again”. He was also active as an author of essays, mainly focusing on history of music.