Qthat phrase, «Maestro Peppe Vessicchio conducts the orchestra»was more than an announcement: it was a reassuring ritual, a certainty, the signal that the Sanremo Festival was really starting. Today, that familiar soundtrack has faded away. Italian music is in mourning for the death of Peppe Vessicchio, the conductorthe arranger and television face among the most loved by the public, died at 69 years old. A sudden farewell that leaves a deep void in the world of entertainment, from the Ariston stage to the desks of Friendsand which leads us to rediscover the man beyond the iconic wand.
The disappearance of maestro Peppe Vessicchio
The news arrived this afternoon, November 8th. Peppe Vessicchio passed away at the San Camillo hospital in Rome, where he was hospitalized in intensive care. A sudden complication took him away. «Peppe Vessicchio is died from interstitial pneumonia which precipitated very quickly», confirmed the hospital. News that took everyone by surprise, leaving colleagues and the public astonished. His presence was a kind guaranteea mixture of authority and irony. The family, respecting its reserved style, has made it known that the funeral “will be strictly private”.
Peppe Vessicchio: the symbolic face of Sanremo
Born in Naples on 17 March 1956, Vessicchio was the very symbol of the Sanremo Festival. Since 1990, his thick beard and gentle gaze they have become an institution on the Ariston stage. Not just a fixture, but a winner. He raised the award four times as a conductor: in 2000 with the Avion Travel (Feeling), in 2003 with Alexia (To say no), in 2010 with Valerio Scanu (For all the times that) and in 2011 with Roberto Vecchioni (Call me again love). To these are added the numerous awards as best arrangera signature of elegance and musical sensitivity.
Beyond Ariston: the beginnings and TV with Friends
But reducing Vessicchio to Sanremo would be a mistake. He was able to speak to all generations, entering homes like teacher and conductor in talent Friends of Maria De Filippi (from 2001 to 2012 and then again from 2018), educating millions of young people in the discipline and beauty of music. His career as an arranger had begun decades earlier, collaborating with giants like Gino Paoli (for which he signs masterpieces such as I’ll leave you a song And What will I do when I grow up), Edoardo Bennato, Zucchero, Elio and the Storie Tese, Biagio Antonacci and Andrea Bocelli.
Peppe Vessicchio’s philosophy: harmony and silence
More than a director, Vessicchio was a philosopher of music. His approach was human, never just academic. “Every person is like a string and has a capacity for vibration,” he said. «When we meet our true passions, we start to really play». He was looking for “natural harmony”which he defined as “the optimal condition of the elements of a set”. He believed in the subtle balance between sound and its opposite: «Silence is the fabric into which sound intrudes». An ethic of respect and time: «You need to find your own speed», he explained, «a speed that is yours, not that of the market».
In the hearts of the public and music lovers
An artist who knew how to combine pop music with cultured music. In 2024, the its composition Taranto it was performed by the Teatro alla Scala Orchestra. «Hearing my music at La Scala was like returning home after a long journey», he said with his typical modesty. Despite his fame, Peppe Vessicchio remained faithful to his mission. «”He conducts the orchestra” is a phrase that haunts me»he confided, «but in reality I didn’t want to direct: I wanted to write, unite, seek harmony». He succeeded, uniting the whole of Italy in his memory.
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