Buenos Aires Herald 
Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin, author of the famous Mission Impossible theme song, died at 93 due to complications after a case of pneumonia, according to U.S. media reports.
Known for his versatility and ability to fuse different music genres, Schifrin leaves behind a renowned career in TV and cinema, which peaked in the 1960s and 1970s with music scores of classic films such as Dirty Harry and Bullit.
Based in the United States since the late 1950s, Schifrin was honored with multiple international awards. Among them, an honorary Oscar in 2018, four Grammy Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2016, the French government named him Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, an order of merit recognizing significant contributions to arts and literature
From Buenos Aires to Hollywood, with a Paris stopover
Born in Buenos Aires in 1932, Lalo Schifrin grew up surrounded by music: his father, Luis Schifrin, was first violinist at the Colón Theater. At the age of six, he began studying piano with maestros such as Enrique Barenboim and Andreas Karalis.
Although he began studying law at the University of Buenos Aires, his true calling led him to drop out after getting a scholarship to study at the Paris Conservatory in 1952. In France, he perfected his classical training but also immersed himself in the vibrant world of jazz, playing in nightclubs and connecting with a musical scene that would shape the course of his work.
In 1955, he represented Argentina at the Paris Jazz Festival, sharing the stage with legendary bandoneón player Astor Piazzolla. Back in Buenos Aires, he founded a big band that caught the attention of bebop legend Dizzy Gillespie, who invited him to join his quintet.
Schifrin moved to the United States and served as the group’s pianist and arranger between 1960 and 1962. Shortly after, he settled in Los Angeles, where he was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to compose music for film and television. From his home in Beverly Hills — a property that had previously belonged to Groucho Marx — he developed a prolific career that included dozens of soundtracks for film and television.
Throughout the years, Schifrin connected different worlds. From classical music to jazz and Hollywood to Colón Theater, he blended a classical composer’s rigor with the expressive power of popular music.
In 2025, he premiered in Buenos Aires his symphony ¡Viva la Libertad!, written in collaboration with composer Rod Schejtman, at the Palacio Libertad (former Kirchner Cultural Center), featuring Argentina’s National Symphonic Orchestra.