Who is Louis Moreau Gottschalk from The Great Pianists and what is their importance?

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was a New Orleans native acclaimed one of Europe's greatest pianists. Gottschalk called himself "one of the old Chopinists" and was America's first important pianist and composer despite spending much time touring Europe and Spain. He gave his first New York concert at Niblo's Saloon in 1853 and became an American society favorite. Gottschalk was criticized for selections he played by Boston music critic Dwight who founded "Journal of Music." Gottschalk avenged himself by substituting a piece on a subsequent Boston concert that Dwight didn't notice. Gottschalk traveled extensively to Cuba, Peru and Brazil where he died unexpectedly at forty in 1869.