Astor Piazzolla

Astor Piazzolla
Piazzolla with his bandoneon, 1971
Background information
Born
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla

(1921-03-11)March 11, 1921
Mar del Plata, Argentina
DiedJuly 4, 1992(1992-07-04) (aged 71)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • arranger
InstrumentBandoneon
Years active1933–1990
Spouse
Odetta Maria "Dedé" Wolff (married 1943-1988) Laura Escalada (married 1988-his death)
Partner(s)
Amelita Baltar, 1966-1974

Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (Latin American Spanish: [asˈtoɾ pjaˈsola], Italian: [pjatˈtsɔlla]; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. A virtuoso bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with a variety of ensembles. In 1992, American music critic Stephen Holden described Piazzolla as "the world's foremost composer of Tango music".