original_query: Who was Charles-Valentin Alkan?
query: Who was Charles-Valentin Alkan?
answer: Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888) was a French Jewish composer and virtuoso pianist known for his technically demanding and expressive piano works.  He was a child prodigy, won many awards at the Conservatoire de Paris, and was a contemporary of Chopin and Liszt.  Later in life he became reclusive but his music has experienced a revival in the late 20th century.