hough not coming from a musical background, as a child Cipriani was fascinated by his church's organ. His priest gave him his first music lessons and encouraged Cipriani and his family. Cipriani passed his examinations and studied at Santa Cecilia Conservatory from the age of 14, then played on cruise ship bands, that enabled him to meet Dave Brubeck. Upon return to Italy he accompanied Rita Pavone on piano.

His first soundtrack was the spaghetti western The Bounty Killer (1966), followed by a well known score for The Stranger Returns (also known as A Man, a Horse, a Gun and Shoot First, Laugh Last) (1967) starring Tony Anthony. Cipriani later composed other spaghetti western scores with Anthony, together with many popular poliziottesco soundtracks.