Lalo Schifrin

Argentinian film and TV score composer, arranger, conductor and pianist.
Born June 21, 1932 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Died June 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, USA.
Classically trained as a musician, he was the son of the concertmaster of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic (Orquesta Filarmónica De Buenos Aires), his first piano teacher was Enrique Barenboim (the father of Daniel Barenboim) and studied at the Paris Conservatory under Olivier Messiaen. Schifrin met Dizzy Gillespie in 1956, moved to the United States in 1958, and was a member of Gillespie's quintet (1960-62) writing the extended works "Gillespiana" and "The New Continent" for Gillespie. He gained his highest recognition as a composer of music for the screen, including the theme for "Mission: Impossible" (TV series 1966-73, and the later films from 1996), as well the motion pictures "Cool Hand Luke" (1967), "Bullitt" (1968) and "Dirty Harry" (1971). During the course of his career, Schifrin received six Oscar nominations, four Grammys (with twenty-one nominations), and one Cable ACE Award. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was awarded an honorary Oscar in November 2018 in recognition of his work. Autobiography: "Mission Impossible: My Life in Music” (2008). Died from pneumonia.

See also the label Aleph Records and Donna Schifrin.