Lalo Schifrin

Creating some of film and television's most iconic soundtracks, jazz composer Lalo Schifrin – born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 21, 1932 - won four Grammy Awards and was given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He started playing piano at the age of five and received a scholarship to esteemed French music college the Paris Conservatoire, where he took classical training during the day and played in jazz clubs at night. He returned to Argentina to lead his own big band before moving to New York City in 1960 to play with Dizzy Gillespie. Lalo Schifrin crafted a signature form of Latin-influenced bossa nova jazz on his early solo albums Bossa Nova: New Brazilian Jazz (1962), Piano, Strings and Bossa Nova (1962) and There’s a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin’ On (1968). He came to prominence in Hollywood by re-arranging the theme to spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and went on to compose many soundtrack scores including Cool Hand Luke (1967), Bullitt (1968), Kelly's Heroes (1970), Enter the Dragon (1973) and, most famously, the classic suspense-filled theme to the TV series Mission Impossible (1967). His work was later sampled by many artists including Portishead (“Sour Times”). Lalo Shifrin collaborated with many artists over the years including Cannonball Adderley, Jimmy Smith, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald. He also collaborated with The Three Tenors (Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, and Placido Domingo), arranging all their music. In 2024, he began collaborating with Argentinean American musician and composer Rod Schejtman on a symphony dedicated to their home country. Subtitled Love Live Freedom, the symphony was premiered on April 5, 2025. Lalo Schifrin died on June 26, 2025, just five days after he turned 93.