Italian composer and pianist Ezio Bosso has passed away of a neurodegenerative disease at the age of 48.

Born on September 13, 1971, in Turin, Bosso studied music from a very early age. As a teenager, he played bass guitar in an R&B band before moving to classical music, where he would perform as a bass player with orchestras such as the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Bosso later attended the Wiener Musikakademie, where he studied conducting and composition.

Bosso began to suffer from a neurodegenerative condition following a surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2011. Despite this he was able to play, compose, and conduct until 2017, two years later he announced he could no longer play piano due to loss of control in two of his fingers.

As a composer, Bosso’s works were performed by the Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro la Fenice, the Vienna State Opera, New York City Ballet, and the Bolshoi Theatre.

He wrote ballet music, film scores, four symphonies, concertante music, and chamber music and frequently collaborated with Mario Brunello and Sergei Krylov. He also worked with the London Symphony Orchestra as well as theater director James Thiérrée and choreographer Rafael Bonachela.

Bosso won several awards for his compositions, including the Australian Green Room Award, the Syracuse NY Award, and was nominated for the prestigious David di Donatello Awards. He also went on to make a number of recordings for Sony Classical.