Astor Piazzolla | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla |
Born | Mar del Plata, Argentina | March 11, 1921
Died | July 4, 1992 Buenos Aires, Argentina | (aged 71)
Genres | Tango, nuevo tango |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger |
Instrument | bandoneon |
Years active | 1933–1990 |
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (Spanish: [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".[1]