Henri Herz
Pianist
France-based musician who hid his Jewish heritage from the public for fear of anti-Semitism among the 19th-century French cultural elite.
He began studying at the Paris Conservatoire in 1816.
He established the legendary concert hall Salle des Concerts Herz on the rue de la Victoire in 1838.
He allegedly married famed French courtesan La Paiva whose real name was Pauline Thérèse Lachmann, although the record remained unclear as to whether the marriage actually occurred.
He was a prolific composer and wrote eight piano concertos. He was, however, fiercely criticized by other musicians, including Robert Schumann, for his showy, shallow style.