Sterling Betancourt, a Trinidad arranger and musician, died on June 3, 2026, at the age of 96.
Born in Laventille, near Port of Spain, Trinidad, on March 30, 1930, he became a pioneer of the steelpan and an important figure in bringing the instrument to Europe and the United Kingdom from 1951. Over a career that spanned more than five decades, Betancourt was also associated with the early development of the Notting Hill Carnival in the 1960s.
He was known as Sterling Betancourt MBE, FRSA, and was recognized with honors for his work in music and innovation.