Bossi came from a family of organists and received his early training from his father, Pietro Bossi. He later studied at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna and the Milan Conservatory. He served as organist and choirmaster at the Como Cathedral and gained a reputation as one of the finest organists of his day. He also served as a teacher of harmony and organ at several conservatories throughout Italy. Bossi's instrumental and organ pieces were his most successful and respected compositions. As a composer, he displayed a dramatic flair and a capability for such devices as the tone poem. An example of such a work is =Il paradiso perduto= (1903), a choral piece representing chaos with formless rhythms and stark intervals. At the beginning of the 20th century, Bossi participated in the renewal of non-operatic Italian music. His influences at this time were that of Liszt, Franck and Brahms, leading him to incorporate subtle chromaticism into his work. He died at sea in 1925 en route to Italy from New York.