| Born: | May 8, 1829 in New Orleans, Louisiana, America |  |
| Died: | December 18, 1869 in Tijuca Brazil. Buried in Brooklyn New York, America | |
| Nationality: | American | |
| Era: | Romantic | |
| Main genre: | Piano, Vocal, Opera, Orchestral | |
| Main works: |
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| Brief biography: | Louis Gottschalk was greatly influenced by his grandmother of who was of Creole decent, and his African American nurse. He was a famous pianist and composer in his times. In fact, it can be argued that he was the first American pianist; he most certainly popularized the piano concert. In 1845 at the age of 16 he gave a successful concert in which Chopin stated that Gottschalk would become "the King of Pianists." Gottschalk traveled frequently therefore his music is a mixture of north and south American, Caribbean and European influences. It also hints of the jazz and ragtime sounds that are to come from future American composers. Gottschalk composed 5 operas, one of which is lost, 8 instrumental pieces including 2 symphonies, well over 100 piano pieces, and over 15 vocal pieces, most of which are accompanied with piano. | |