Charles-Valentin Alkan

Charles-Valentin Alkan (30 November 1813 – 29 March 1888) was a French composer and one of the greatest pianists of his day. His attachment to his Jewish origins is displayed both in his life and his work. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of six, earning many awards, and as an adult became a famous virtuoso and teacher. Although early in his life he was socially active and good friends with prominent musicians and artists including Eugène Delacroix, Franz Liszt and Frédéric Chopin, he gradually withdrew from the concert platform after 1848, and he lived a reclusive life in Paris until his death.