Georges Bizet

1838 - 1875

Like many composers of his age, Georges Bizet was a child prodigy. He learned to play the piano from his mother and was entered into the Paris Conservatory at the age of 9 (the minimum age for entry normally being 10.) While there, he was mentored by Charles Gounod and befriended Camille Saint-Saëns, both of whom became very influential in the French musical scene.

After winning a youth composition contest organized by Jacques Offenbach, he began to mingle with Parisian artistic society and was an acquaintance of Gioachino Rossini. In 1857, Bizet won the "Prix de Rome" and moved to Rome to study and compose. However, his music never met with the success for which he hoped.

Returning to Paris, he attended the premier of Tannhäuser in 1861, and became a lifelong fan of Richard Wagner, which earned him occasional snubbing from other Parisians. However, that same year, he met Franz Liszt, who was impressed by Bizet's piano playing skills.

During the Franco-Prussian War, Bizet fought in the National Guard. Bizet left Paris after France's swift defeat at the hands of Otto von Bismarck and the new German Empire. Emperor Napoléon III abdicated and the Third Republic was set up as the new French government. The City of Paris, however, refused to recognize the new French government, establishing the Paris Commune, taking hostages and declaring independence from the rest of the country. After two months, the Paris Commune was defeated by the French Army.

Bizet returned to Paris and produced what would become his most famous opera, Carmen. However, it was not well received due to the rampant immorality of the characters, especially the titular lead actress. Convinced it would be a failure, Bizet fell ill, and died of a heart attack in 1875 at the age of 36.