Astor Piazzolla

Who is Astor Piazzolla?

Astor Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on 11 March 1921 and died in Buenos Aires on 4 July 1992. A virtuoso of the bandoneón, he revolutionized traditional tango by fusing it with elements of jazz and classical music, creating the style known as 'nuevo tango.' As a boy he lived in New York City, where he absorbed jazz and classical influences, and he later studied composition in Paris with the renowned teacher Nadia Boulanger, who encouraged him to embrace his tango roots. His compositions, including 'Libertango,' 'Adiós Nonino,' and the tango operetta 'María de Buenos Aires' (1968), brought tango into concert halls worldwide and initially provoked controversy among traditionalists in Argentina. Leading ensembles such as his Quinteto Nuevo Tango, he became one of the most important South American composers of the twentieth century, and his music is now performed by classical and jazz musicians across the globe.

Sources: María Susana Azzi & Simon Collier, 'Le Grand Tango: The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla' (Oxford University Press, 2000)