Lalo Schifrin dead: Oscar winning Mission Impossible theme composer dies

The Oscarwinning composer behind the catchy Mission: Impossible theme tune has died, it has been announced.

Grammy Award-winning composer Lalo Schifrin's death at 93 was confirmed by his son Ryan Schifrin, who confirmed his father died of complications from pneumonia on Thursday.

In addition to the Mission: Impossible theme tune, Schifrin scored over 100 film and television soundtracks during his six-decade career. The star won four Grammys and received six Oscar nominations, including five for original score for Cool Hand Luke, The Fox, Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Sting II. In a statement Schifrin's son Ryan said he died peacefully.

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"His family was at his side, and he passed peacefully," Schifrin told CBS News. "We are grateful for the opportunity to be there for him. We are still trying to process this loss, and are very moved by all the love and support we have received."

In 2018, Schifrin received an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar “in recognition of his unique musical style, compositional integrity and influential contributions to the art of film scoring.” The award was presented to him by Clint Eastwood.

Elsewhere, The Argentinian composer wrote the grand finale musical performance for the World Cup championship in Italy in 1990. It became the first time the Three Tenors Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras sang together, going on to become one of the biggest sellers in classical music history.

“Every movie has its own personality. There are no rules to write music for movies,” Schifrin told The Associated Press in 2018. “The movie dictates what the music will be.”

His most unforgettable piece of work, however, is the iconic melody for Mission: Impossible. The instantly recognisable theme tune is written in an unusual 5/4 time signature which was described as “only the most contagious tune ever heard by mortal ears” by New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane.

As the sad news breaks, tributes for the composer have been pouring in on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The countdown begins. The fuse lights. The music hits and suddenly, you’re in it. That was the genius of Lalo Schifrin," posted The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "With six Academy Award nominations and iconic scores for MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, THE FOX, BULLITT, AND THE STING II, Schifrin didn’t just write music, he built tension, ignited adrenaline, and gave stories their pulse.

"We’ll forever remember the composer who turned every beat into a thrill, and every silence into suspense."

Fans also paid tribute to the star, with one writing: "What an incredible repertoire of film scores. The Mission Impossible score is so dynamic and unforgettable. His legacy will live forever through his music."

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