Juan D'Arienzo was the son of Italian immigrants . He began playing the violin at the age of twelve and studied at the Mascagni Conservatory in Buenos Aires.
After his musical training he was initially a member of an instrumental trio to which the pianist Angel D'Agostino also belonged.
After he had belonged to various other orchestras in the following years, he founded his own tango orchestra ( Juan D'Arienzo y su Orquesta Típica ) in 1926 , which is still one of the most popular and popular tango orchestras. Because of his very rhythmic arrangements , Juan D'Arienzo was called the king of the beat ( Spanish : El Rey del Compás ).
Around 1960 Juan D'Arienzo tried to introduce new stylistic devices into the classical tango. With Aníbal Troilo ( bandoneon ), Francisco Canaro (violin), Osvaldo Pugliese ( piano ) and Osvaldo Fresedo (bandoneon) he also formed the Quinteto de Oro , whose music was to incorporate the ideas of these five musicians regarding a renewal of tango.
Juan D'Arienzo has recorded hundreds of tangos, milongas and valses on phonograms.