Oskar Sala, a renowned pioneer in electroacoustic music and sound art, died on February 26, 2002 at the age of 91. Born in Greiz, Germany, Sala studied music composition at the Felix Mendelssohn College of Music and Theatre in Leipzig, and then at Graz University, where he received a degree in musicology and music theory. He developed the instrument known as the Trautonium and was responsible for its evolution from the 1930s to the late 1960s. He custom-built instruments for composers and performing artists, and wrote the classic textbooks Tag und Nacht Musik-Mechanik and Elektronische Kl anggestaltung. Sala composed for film and television, and his award-winning scores for radio and television programs, documentaries and feature-length films earned him international recognition. He collaborated with numerous composers and performers, most notably Herbert Eimert, Paul Hindemith and Pierre Boulez. In later years, Sala worked on experimental sound installations and theatrical presentations, and developed works for the Museum of Electronic Sounds in Berlin. He will be remembered as a giant of electroacoustic music and sound art, whose discoveries and legacy have had a profound influence on the development of music.