Georges Bizet (1838-1875) was a French Romantic composer who entered the Paris Conservatoire at age nine and won the Prix de Rome in 1857. He is best known for his final opera Carmen (1875), which has become one of the most performed works in the entire operatic repertoire; his realistic approach to character and drama also influenced the later verismo movement in Italian opera. Among his other enduring works are the opera Les Pêcheurs de perles and the orchestral suites drawn from his incidental music to L'Arlésienne. He died of a heart attack at 36, just months after Carmen's premiere, never knowing the triumph that awaited it.
A new production of Carmen, co-produced by Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Teatro Real Madrid, opened in Milan on 8 June 2026, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung and directed by Damiano Michieletto.
The Metropolitan Opera in New York revived its 2023 production of Carmen across the 2025-2026 season, with performances running from October 2025 through January 2026.
The Royal Ballet and Opera in London revived Damiano Michieletto's production of Carmen in 2025, the same staging that later transferred to La Scala.
Bachtrack published a top-ten Bizet playlist in March 2025, noting renewed interest in his lesser-known works beyond Carmen, drawing on Palazetto Bru Zane's recent release Georges Bizet: Portrait.
