Charles V. Alkan Biography - A Very Quick Guide

French pianist and composer Charles-Valentin Alkan was born in 1813 in Paris into a musical Jewish family. A prodigy, he entered the Paris Conservatoire at a very young age, winning prizes in piano, organ and harmony. Alkan became a respected figure in Parisian musical circles and was a close associate of Chopin and Liszt. Despite early success, he led a largely reclusive professional life, performing only occasionally and focusing instead on teaching and composing.

Alkan is known today for his technically demanding and often highly original piano works, including the Douze études dans les tons mineurs, the Symphony for Solo Piano, and the Concerto for Solo Piano, which push both the instrument and performer to exceptional levels of difficulty. His music, neglected for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, gained renewed attention in the late 20th century through recordings and performances by specialist pianists. Alkan died in 1888, leaving behind a challenging but influential body of Romantic piano repertoire.