Astor Piazzolla
Born in Argentina, Piazzolla spent much of his childhood in New York City, where he was exposed to myriad musical styles, especially jazz and classical. His father encouraged him to learn the bandoneón, which he mastered quickly. While he was still a teenager, his prodigious abilities earned him an invitation to tour with Carlos Gardel. Fortunately, his father did not grant his permission, for it was during this tour that a plane crash ended the famous tango singer’s life. In 1937, Piazzolla returned to Argentina and earned a living by performing in cabarets where tango music was featured. His skill was well regarded throughout Bue- nos Aires, where he began to study the compositions of such art music masters as Bach, Bartók, and Stravinsky. In 1953, he traveled to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger (1887–1979), one of the twentieth century’s most influential composition instructors. With her guidance, Piazzolla dispatched his earlier efforts and created his own sound by composing jazz and classically influenced tango music, which he dubbed nuevo tango (new tango). His objective was to establish tango as concert music in and of itself.