Gustavo Beytelmann is this country's most innovative tango composer and pianist. He was born in 1945 in Venado Tuerto in the Argentine province of Rosario. As a child he learnt to play the piano and soon began appearing in various jazz and tango orchestras. After studying composing under Francisco Kroepfl he wrote numerous film scores and worked as an arranger and musical director for Argentine record companies. In 1976 he emigrated for political reasons to Paris, where he has worked as a pianist and composer ever since. In 1977 he accompanied his role model Astor Piazzolla on his tour of Europe. He then founded the "Tiempo Argentino" group with other exiled Argentine musicians to demonstrate musically against the Argentine military dictatorship. In the 80s he was a member of the legendary Mosalini / Beytelmann / Caratini trio for which he rearranged traditional tangos and composed new scores. He also composed for the Italian, French and German TV and cinema. From 1995 to 1999 he was city composer of Dijon and there wrote "Paris, tres situaciones" for viola and piano, "Ecos" for violins, violon cello and piano and "Tres piezas para orquesta" among other works. He has been musical director of the tango section of the Rotterdam conservatorium since 1996.