Francesco De Masi, the Italian composer whose credits include LoneWolf McQuade, documentaries and numerous spaghetti Westerns, has died. He was75.

De Masi was born in Rome on Jan11, 1930, and studied composition at the Neapolitan Conservatory under thedirection of Achille Longo. He moved on to study orchestra direction at theChigiana Academy in Siena with Paul Van Kempen and Franco Ferrara, and alsograduated in horn after studying with Domenico Ceccarossi.

He won the Review award for young conductors sponsored by RAI in1968, and after that point much of his time was taken up conducting concertsand operas in Italy and abroad.

In 1974 he took the chair of orchestra rehearsals at theNeapolitan Conservatory and since 1989 he taught teaching at the Conservatoryof Rome.

A course in film music taughtby Angelo Francesco Lavagnino at the Chigiana Academy in Siena in 1955 servedas De Masi's entry point into film.

He began a collaboration with Folco Quilici two years later,working on such titles as Dagli Appennini Alle Ande, Ti-koyo E Il SuoPescecane, among others,and TV series.

De Masi's careercredits include hundreds of documentaries, narrative features and TV.. He passed away on Nov 6.