Boris Claudio “Lalo” Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-born American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, including the “Theme from Mission: Impossible“, Bullitt and Enter the Dragon. He has received five Grammy Awards and six Oscar nominations. Associated with the jazz music genre, Schifrin is also noted for his collaborations with Clint Eastwoodfrom the late 1960s to the 1980s, particularly the Dirty Harry films.

Schifrin was born in Buenos Aires, to a Jewish family. His father, Luis Schifrin, led the second violin section of the orchestra at the Teatro Colón for three decades.At the age of six, Schifrin began a six-year course of study on piano with Enrique Barenboim, the father of pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. At age 16, Schifrin began studying piano with the Greek-Russian expatriate Andreas Karalis, former head of the Kiev Conservatory, and harmony with Argentine composer Juan Carlos Paz. During this time, Schifrin also became interested in jazz.