Ennio Morricone postpones L.A., New York concerts until June

Ennio Morricone has postponed his upcoming concerts in Los Angeles and New York until June, citing a back injury that is preventing him from traveling long distances.

The five-time Academy Award-nominated movie composer had been scheduled to conduct concerts at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live on March 20 and at the Barclays Center’s Cushman and Wakefield Theatre in Brooklyn on March 23.

Organizers said the rescheduled concerts will take place June 13 in Brooklyn and June 15 in L.A.

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Morricone, who is 85 and lives in Italy, suffered a slipped disc in his back and underwent surgery to correct the injury. He has been advised by his doctors to refrain from traveling long distances to ensure that his back heals properly, said organizers.

“It saddens me deeply to have to postpone these concerts,” Morricone said in a release sent Wednesday. “I’m grateful and sorry to my fans for having to delay these shows. I’ll miss you, and I look forward to seeing you soon.”

Organizers said tickets to the original performance will be honored at the rescheduled performance. A full refund is available to those who cannot attend the rescheduled show through the original point of purchase through May 1.

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In 2009, Morricone was to conduct a concert at the Hollywood Bowl but the event was canceled. He led a concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York in 2007.

Morricone is the composer of such movies as Sergio Leone’s “Dollars” trilogy, starring Clint Eastwood; “The Mission,” “The Untouchables,” “Bugsy” and “Cinema Paradiso.” In 2007, he received an honorary Oscar for career achievement in film composing.

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