Born in Venezuela, Teresa Carreño earned international acclaim in Europe and the United States as a virtuoso concert pianist—called by some the “Valkyrie of the Piano” for her energetic performances. Her family emigrated to New York City when she was eight, and she found a strong supporter in Louis Moreau Gottschalk—one of the few American composers recognized by Europe in the 19th century—as well as fans and friends in Camille Saint-Saëns and Charles Gounod. As a composer, Carreño focused on small-scale works, mainly for solo piano, played in salons. But her fewer larger works, including her one String Quartet (1896), show an expert sense of form, structure, development, and technique.