Waldo De Los Ríos

With the suicide death of Waldo de los Rios on March 28, 1977, Latin music lost one of its greatest interpreters of classical music. A master at creating lush, heavily orchestrated numbers, de los Rios is best-remembered for his ability to transform the classics of European classical music into pop music. His most successful work was a 1971 update of Mozart's 1788 composition "Symphony No. 40." De los Rios' compositions were heard in the 1967 film Pampa Salvaje, for which he received a prestigious award from the Argentine Cinemagraphic Association, and the Pedro Maso-produced musical comedy Pedro Lazaga in 1969. De los Rios was inspired by an eclectic range of music. In 1972, he conducted the Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra on an album, Coming on Again, recorded in Spain by British band Tucky Buzzard. Released initially in Spain, the album was reissued globally in May 2002. A native of Buenos Aires, De los Rios studied counterpoint and composition with Alberto Ginastera and Teodoro Fuchs. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi