Ezio Leoni
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ezio Leoni is one of the pioneers and driving forces behind the Italian music scene of the anni d'oro (golden years) of Italy's musica leggera (popular music). Composer, arranger, orchestra conductor, producer and A&R Executive, the breadth and depth of "Maestro" Leoni's contributions span from helping lay the foundations for Italian pop music in the 1950's and 1960's to working with some of the most influential American and European artists of the time, as he opened the Italian and Southern European market for many of them.
Later in his life, Leoni would focus his efforts on protecting and upholding the rights of Italian music composers and publishers, holding different positions of leadership within SIAE (Societa' Italiana Autori ed Editori), the Italian copyright agency for music, and UNCLA (Unione Nazionale Compositori Librettisti Autori) eventually becoming its Honorary President in 2011.
As composer, Maestro Ezio Leoni writes the music of iconic Italian songs such as "24.000 Baci", "Si e' Spento il Sole", and "Il Tuo Bacio e' Come un Rock", while as arranger / conductor, producer and A&R Executive he contributes to establishing the success of some of the major and longest-lasting Italian music personalities, including Adriano Celentano, Tony Dallara, Fausto Leali, Luigi Tenco, Iva Zanicchi and Fausto Papetti among many others Maestro Leoni's artists win the Sanremo music competition five times (Sanremo is often referred to as the Italian version of the United States' Grammy Awards, exception being that, unlike the Grammies, Sanremo only recognizes one official winner each year). He wins three times with Iva Zanicchi ("Non Pensare a Me" - 1967, "Zingara" - 1969, and "Ciao Cara, Come Stai?" - 1974), as well as with the group Homo Sapiens ("Bella da Morire" - 1977) and singer Mino Vergnaghi ("Amare" - 1979). By the 1980's, Adriano Celentano was recognized as the singer with the all-time highest number of #1 singles in the Italian market, while Fausto Papetti was recognized as the Italian artist with the highest number of albums ever sold, evidencing Maestro Ezio Leoni's level of impact on the Italian music scene (as Leoni's contributions were instrumental in laying the foundation for the commercial success of both performers). His artists and songs are also represented in motion picture soundtracks, including classics such as Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (A. Celentano), and "Profumo di Donna / Scent of a Woman".
Maestro Leoni's collaboration with artists beyond the Italian borders starts as early as the late 1950's with Chet Baker, when, working under the pseudonym of Len Mercer, he leads the orchestration and production of two albums between 1957 and 1959 (often referred to as "The Milano Sessions"), which start establishing Baker in the Italian and European music scene. In the 1960's, while A&R Executive at Ri-Fi, he is instrumental in securing the distributing rights for the Italian and other European territories for two of America's major labels, Motown Records and Atlantic Records, working directly with Berry Gordy (founder, Motown Records) and Ahmet Ertegun (co-founder, Atlantic Records), with whom he would develop a close friendship. This agreement enables the exposure to the Italian market for the two record labels stable of artists, which at the time included Otis Redding, James Brown, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin and Wilson Picket, who, in 1968, joined Fausto Leali at Sanremo for the hit song "Deborah."
Maestro Leoni also leads other notable international artists to fame in the Italian market, many of whom, at the peak of their careers, record versions of their hit songs in the Italian language (a common practice at the time) under Leoni's supervision. Examples of such artists include Ben E. King, Petula Clark, Tom Jones, Pat Boone, Francois Hardy, Charles Aznavour as well as Elvis Presley's backup singers The Sweet Inspirations.
After retiring from recording in the 1990's, Ezio Leoni becomes more involved on the policy aspect of protecting the rights of authors and publishers in Italy, and is elected to different posts within SIAE (Societa' Italiana Autori Editori), Italy's copyright agency for music and UNCLA (Unione Nazionale Compositori Librettisti Autori). He is eventually named UNCLA's Honorary President, as recognition for contributions made in the pioneering of the Italian music industry during the 20th Century and the rich legacy he leaves behind.
Later in his life, Leoni would focus his efforts on protecting and upholding the rights of Italian music composers and publishers, holding different positions of leadership within SIAE (Societa' Italiana Autori ed Editori), the Italian copyright agency for music, and UNCLA (Unione Nazionale Compositori Librettisti Autori) eventually becoming its Honorary President in 2011.
As composer, Maestro Ezio Leoni writes the music of iconic Italian songs such as "24.000 Baci", "Si e' Spento il Sole", and "Il Tuo Bacio e' Come un Rock", while as arranger / conductor, producer and A&R Executive he contributes to establishing the success of some of the major and longest-lasting Italian music personalities, including Adriano Celentano, Tony Dallara, Fausto Leali, Luigi Tenco, Iva Zanicchi and Fausto Papetti among many others Maestro Leoni's artists win the Sanremo music competition five times (Sanremo is often referred to as the Italian version of the United States' Grammy Awards, exception being that, unlike the Grammies, Sanremo only recognizes one official winner each year). He wins three times with Iva Zanicchi ("Non Pensare a Me" - 1967, "Zingara" - 1969, and "Ciao Cara, Come Stai?" - 1974), as well as with the group Homo Sapiens ("Bella da Morire" - 1977) and singer Mino Vergnaghi ("Amare" - 1979). By the 1980's, Adriano Celentano was recognized as the singer with the all-time highest number of #1 singles in the Italian market, while Fausto Papetti was recognized as the Italian artist with the highest number of albums ever sold, evidencing Maestro Ezio Leoni's level of impact on the Italian music scene (as Leoni's contributions were instrumental in laying the foundation for the commercial success of both performers). His artists and songs are also represented in motion picture soundtracks, including classics such as Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (A. Celentano), and "Profumo di Donna / Scent of a Woman".
Maestro Leoni's collaboration with artists beyond the Italian borders starts as early as the late 1950's with Chet Baker, when, working under the pseudonym of Len Mercer, he leads the orchestration and production of two albums between 1957 and 1959 (often referred to as "The Milano Sessions"), which start establishing Baker in the Italian and European music scene. In the 1960's, while A&R Executive at Ri-Fi, he is instrumental in securing the distributing rights for the Italian and other European territories for two of America's major labels, Motown Records and Atlantic Records, working directly with Berry Gordy (founder, Motown Records) and Ahmet Ertegun (co-founder, Atlantic Records), with whom he would develop a close friendship. This agreement enables the exposure to the Italian market for the two record labels stable of artists, which at the time included Otis Redding, James Brown, The Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin and Wilson Picket, who, in 1968, joined Fausto Leali at Sanremo for the hit song "Deborah."
Maestro Leoni also leads other notable international artists to fame in the Italian market, many of whom, at the peak of their careers, record versions of their hit songs in the Italian language (a common practice at the time) under Leoni's supervision. Examples of such artists include Ben E. King, Petula Clark, Tom Jones, Pat Boone, Francois Hardy, Charles Aznavour as well as Elvis Presley's backup singers The Sweet Inspirations.
After retiring from recording in the 1990's, Ezio Leoni becomes more involved on the policy aspect of protecting the rights of authors and publishers in Italy, and is elected to different posts within SIAE (Societa' Italiana Autori Editori), Italy's copyright agency for music and UNCLA (Unione Nazionale Compositori Librettisti Autori). He is eventually named UNCLA's Honorary President, as recognition for contributions made in the pioneering of the Italian music industry during the 20th Century and the rich legacy he leaves behind.