The Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla (1921 - 1992) has over the past quarter of a century become something of a contemporary icon. With heterogeneous and rebellious elements (Jazz, classical music, experiments in sound) he produced a unique music under the drastic pulse of his Tango. Piazzolla spent his childhood in New York, where he studied the bandoneon with Andrés DÁquila and later on continued to study with the Hungarian pianist Bela Wilda. Piazzolla was influential through composing tangos for still-larger bodies, including percussion instruments and from around 1960 the electric guitar. His elaboration of the tango made history. His opus comprises more than 1000 works with an undoubtedly Argentinean flavour that continues to influence the best musicians in the world of all generations. For example, the violinist Gidon Kremer, the cellist Yo-Yo-Ma, the Kronos Quartet, the pianists Emanuel Ax and Arthur Moreira Lima, the guitarist Al Di Meola, the Assad brothers, and numerous chamber music and symphonic orchestras.