Celso Valli, the architect of Italian pop, has died: the historic producer of Vasco Rossi, Laura Pausini, and many others.

Bologna, 28 July 2025 - Celso Valli , composer, conductor, arranger and record producer who marked the history of Italian pop music in recent decades, died at the age of 75 in Bologna, the city where he was born on 14 May 1950. The news of his passing was spread on social media by Eros Ramazzotti, who posted the story "I will miss you, maestro".

After studying at the Giovanni Battista Martini Conservatory in Bologna, Valli made his official debut collaborating with Drupi on his 1978 album "Provincia." Around the same time, he began producing, arranging, and occasionally composing for several Italo disco projects, including "Tantra," "Azoto," and "Passeggeri."

Malika Ayane and Celso Valli on the first night of Jazz on Symphony

In 1979 he began collaborating with Mina ; his career as a producer and arranger includes some of the most successful Italian artists between the 1980s and 2000s. He has worked with Claudio Baglioni, Gianni Morandi, Fiorella Mannoia, Miguel Bosé, Marcella Bella, Matia Bazar, Eros Ramazzotti, Vasco Rossi, Andrea Bocelli, Giorgia, Patty Pravo, Il Volo, Laura Pausini, Filippa Giordano, Mango, Raf, Renato Zero, Biagio Antonacci and Gerardina Trovato, to name a few. Over the course of his career, he has achieved gold and platinum records, and the Latin Grammy Award for Laura Pausini 's album "Primavera Anticipada". In 2006, he was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In 2011, he received a diamond record certification with Vasco Rossi for the album "Vivere o niente".

He produced the best-selling Italian album of all time, Claudio Baglioni's "La vita è adesso," and has also curated songs such as "Self Control," "Ti sento," "Quello che le donne non dicono," and "Un senso." Valli has also been a prominent figure at the Sanremo Music Festival for decades, conducting the orchestra for many artists, often contributing to historic victories. His last appearance at the Ariston Theatre was in 2023, alongside Ultimo and Eros Ramazzotti in a stirring medley of the Roman singer-songwriter's greatest hits.