Brazilian composer and pianist Joao Donato dies aged 88

Joao Donato (Julie Jacobson/AP)

Brazilian composer and pianist Joao Donato, who helped lay the groundwork for bossa nova but throughout his career defied confinement to any single genre, has died aged 88.

His death was announced on his verified Instagram account. Local media reported that he had been admitted to hospital and intubated with pneumonia.