Ennio Morricone was born on November 10, 1928, in Rome. His father was a professional musician, playing the trumpet in a jazz ensemble, while his mother took care of the household. Ennio was the eldest of five children. He composed his first musical piece at the age of six. At 12, he entered the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, where his teacher was Goffredo Petrassi. At the conservatory, Morricone earned three diplomas: in trumpet (1946), orchestration (1952), and composition (1954). In the late 1950s, he began arranging music, working for RAI and RCA-Italy, collaborating with stars such as Mario Lanza, Gianni Morandi, Charles Aznavour, and Paul Anka. At 16, Morricone started performing in the Alberto Flamini ensemble, where his father once played. With the group, he performed musical pieces in casinos, hotels, and restaurants. At 17, he became a theatrical artist, and a year later, he showcased his skills as a composer. Until 1960, he worked on music arrangements for radio and concerts, and in 1960, he began arranging music for television shows. It was only in 1961, at the age of 33, that he started composing music for films, beginning with spaghetti westerns, with which his name is now firmly associated.

Morricone gained worldwide fame for his work on Sergio Leone's western "A Fistful of Dollars" (1964). This was followed by equally successful films "For a Few Dollars More" (1965), "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966), "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968), "A Fistful of Dynamite" (1971), and "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984). This creative duo became one of the most famous in cinema and lasted until the director's death in 1989.

Having gained fame in Europe, Morricone was invited to work in Hollywood. In addition to soundtracks, he created chamber instrumental music, with which he toured Europe in 1985, personally conducting the orchestra at concerts. Twice during his career, he appeared in films for which he composed music, and in 1995, a documentary was made about him. On December 6, 2012, Morricone opened his anniversary tour with a joint concert with the SOFIA Symphony Orchestra at the State Kremlin Palace.

The composer and arranger created soundtracks for more than 400 films. A film featuring melodies composed by the talented Italian was released on screens once a month. The musician became an international author, working with representatives of German, Spanish, French, Russian, and American cinema. In 2007, he received an Oscar for his outstanding contribution to cinema. Additionally, in 1988, he was awarded a Grammy for the music of the film "The Untouchables." In 1996, Morricone, along with photographer Augusto De Luca, received the "City of Rome" award for the book "Our Rome." In 2016, he received a second Oscar for the music of the film "The Hateful Eight."

In January 2016, his world tour "60 Years of Music" began, dedicated to the anniversary of his creative activity. As part of the tour, concerts were held in the "Ice Palace" in St. Petersburg (November 5) and at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow (November 7) in 2018. On July 6, 2020, Ennio Morricone passed away. The cause of death was the consequences of an injury: a few days prior, the composer had fallen and suffered a serious fracture. As noted by Giorgio Assumma, a close friend of Morricone, the maestro died surrounded by family and was able to say goodbye to his loved ones.