Jorge Calandrelli

Jorge Calandrelli (December 31, 1939 – May 4, 2026) was an Argentine composer, arranger, and conductor known for his work with Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Arturo Sandoval, Yo-Yo Ma, Tony Bennett, Elton John, Lady Gaga, and John Legend. He won 6 Grammy Awards and received 28 nominations. Calandrelli was nominated twice for an Academy Award for his work on The Color Purple and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Life and career Calandrelli’s mother was a skilled pianist. Both his father and grandfather were medical doctors and expected him to follow their path. At age 4, Calandrelli started playing the piano by ear and took lessons at age 8. In his late teens, with both of his parents’ support, Calandrelli traveled to Europe to pursue a career in music. He arrived in Los Angeles in 1968 and collaborated with composer and arranger Clare Fischer. Inspired by him, Calandrelli decided to go back to Argentina and continue honing his skills. He later returned to the United States with recommendation letters from the record labels he had worked with in Argentina. He recorded Russian-American conductor Andre Kostelanetz and a 65-piece orchestra at CBS’ studio in New York. Calandrelli started