The family of Massimo Rossi is deeply saddened to announce his death on February 6, 2024, at the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence.

Massimo Rossi, organist, professor and composer died at age 90 as peacefully and gently as he had lived, surrounded by his loved ones. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Terry, his devoted son, Alex, his brothers Joseph “Tino”, Angelo and Giovanni, his sister Lina and many relatives and friends.

The musical arts community of Quebec has thus lost one of its most illustrious and accomplished musicologists.

Massimo was born in 1933 to Elisa and Tomasso Rossi in Supino (Lazio) Italy where his love for organ music as well as his curiosity in the construction of pipe organs was first kindled. He pursued classical and musical studies in Rome and Siena. In 1953, he emigrated to Quebec and soon became organist and choir director at the Notre Dame de-la-Consolata Church where he helped with the design, installation and tuning of a majestic pipe organ from the prestigious firm Tamburini of Crema, (Cremona). During this period, he gave private lessons on solfege, musical theory, piano, and accordion as well as serving as musical arranger at Radio Canada. In 1961, at the age of 28, he entered the Faculty of Music at l’Université de Montréal to pursue multiple degrees which he graduated “Summa cum Laude” and “Magna cum Laude” and was awarded a medal by the Quebec Governor General. In 1964, he obtained a master's degree in sacred music from the same University and spent the next 33 years there teaching harmony, counterpoint, fugue, orchestration, keyboard harmony, composition, analysis and organology. In recognition of Massimo’s special contribution to his field of study, on his retirement, he was conferred the title of Honorary Professor.

On two separate sabbatical years, Massimo’s passion for the organ brought him back to Italy and Europe to study the restoration of organs and, as a committee member of La Fondation du Patrimoine religieux du Quebec, he participated in juries for the restoration of antique organs all over Quebec.  One of his proudest accomplishments was the construction of two personal organs for his home with which he gave recitals at Radio Canada’s Recital D’Orgue and Tribune de L’Orgue.

Massimo composed over fifty vocal and instrumental works, in different styles, often of a religious nature, too many to list. In 2016, he became an associate compositor at the Canadian Music Center where some of his works have been archived.  Of one of his works, Elevation, Quebec organist, Denis Gougeon commented, “Un bijou mélodique et harmonique d’une profonde intériorité/A melodic and harmonic jewel of deep interiority.”

As an organist, he performed recitals in Italy, United States and Canada and was often featured on Radio-Canada.

Massimo’s contribution to the art of organ music is inestimable and he has been described by his colleagues as refined, devoted, passionate, erudite and an artistic virtuoso−yet modest, generous, respectful and kind, with a perpetual smile and always ready to share a good meal and a glass of his wine with his family, friends and colleagues.

The music of the heavens will resound more harmoniously now that Massimo’s spirit has entered its celestial spheres.

The family will receive condolences on Sunday, February 11, from 1pm to 4pm and from 6pm to 8pm at the Belvedere Cemetery and Funeral Complex, 22025 Trans-Canada Highway in Senneville.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, February 12 at 11am at Les Saints-Anges de Lachine church, 1400 Blvd Saint-Joseph in Lachine.

As an expression of sympathy, instead of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Massimo’s name to the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence in Kirkland.