Italy bids farewell to Sanremo conductor Peppe Vessicchio

Vessicchio was a household name in Italy thanks to his appearances at Sanremo over the decades. Peppe Vessicchio, the celebrated Italian conductor, composer and television personality, died in Rome on Saturday 8 November at the age of 69. Vessicchio had been hospitalised for several days in the city's San Camillo Hospital due to complications from pneumonia. Born in Naples in 1956, Vessicchio's career spanned decades, however it was his presence at the annual Sanremo Music Festival that solidified his status as a household name in Italy. Vessicchio was an iconic figure at the festival, having conducted in nearly every edition since 1990 and scoring four wins as the orchestra's director: with Avion Travel (2000), Alexia (2003), Valerio Scanu (2010) and Roberto Vecchioni (2011). In addition to Sanremo, the charismatic conductor served as vocal coach and musical director on the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi and made numerous guest appearances on talk shows and television programmes dedicated to Italian music. He was also a prolific arranger, working with a wide range of top Italian and international artists, including Andrea Bocelli, Gino Paoli and Zucchero. Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni in a post on X hailed Vessicchio as "an artist of great musical culture who gave so much and who we will miss", adding: "'The orchestra is conducted by maestro Beppe Vessicchio" was not just a phrase: it was home, it was Italy."