born May 8, 1829, New Orleans, La., U.S.
died Dec. 18, 1869, Rio de Janeiro, Braz.
U.S. composer and pianist.
He was exposed early to the music of New Orleans's Caribbean and Latin American population. Sent to France at age 13 to study music, he quickly became known throughout Europe as a piano virtuoso and a composer of exotic piano works. He returned in 1853 and toured the U.S., West Indies, and South America. Though he wrote operas and symphonies, he is known for his more than 200 piano pieces, including La Bamboula , Le Bananier , Le Banjo , L'Union , and The Dying Poet . Gottschalk was the first American pianist to achieve international recognition and the first American composer to employ Latin American and Creole folk themes and rhythms.