Lalo Schifrin, composer of legendary soundtracks such as 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Dirty Harry', dies.

Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin , internationally recognized for creating the soundtrack for the original Mission: Impossible series and who received an honorary Oscar for his career in 2018, died this Thursday at the age of 93 in Los Angeles, according to the Argentine Ministry of Culture.

"The prestigious Argentine composer and pianist, author of more than one hundred film and television soundtracks, passed away today at the age of 93 in Los Angeles," the organization reported, highlighting Schifrin's more than six decades of musical career. It said that "he was considered a living legend for his compositional genius."

His soundtracks were striking in their combination of diverse musical genres. Schifrin achieved international fame when he composed the score for "Mission: Impossible" in 1966, which became one of the most recognizable themes in 20th-century cinema.

He also composed for films such as 'Dirty Harry', 'Bullitt' and 'The Cincinnati Kid', and for series such as 'Mannix' and 'Starsky and Hutch', among others.

Born in Buenos Aires

Born in Buenos Aires on June 21, 1932, he studied piano as a child and later composition at the Paris Conservatory.

In the 1950s, he met jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, who invited him to work in the United States. This collaboration marked the beginning of his international career, which would include several seasons of touring and performing alongside legends such as Count Bassie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis.

Throughout his career, Schifrin was honored with five Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards , a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Max Steiner Award.

After being nominated six times by the Hollywood Academy for an Oscar, when he finally won the statuette in 2018 , at the hands of Clint Eastwood, he celebrated with a speech that concluded with the phrase "Mission accomplished!", alluding to the composition for which he is known worldwide.

Although he lived in the United States, Schifrin maintained ties with Argentina. In April of this year, he premiered a symphonic work entitled "Long Live Liberty!" in Buenos Aires, composed with Argentine Rod Schejtman and performed by the National Symphony Orchestra. At its premiere, he received a distinction from the National Secretariat of Culture.

His recent works also include chamber pieces premiered during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the "Modern String Quartets," which incorporate elements of the Argentine tango, malambo, and chacarera rhythms.