Romantic-era Composer of the immortal operatic masterpiece "Carmen" one of his only successes. Other works, such as "Les pêcheurs de perles," struggled to find an audience.
He entered the Paris Conservatoire two weeks before he turned 10, greatly impressing his teachers, especially famed professor of piano Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmermann.
He died of a heart attack not long before "Carmen" became a success.
His father was a self-taught vocal instructor, and his mother was an accomplished Pianist. He married Genevieve Halevy on June 3, 1869, and they had one child together.
He impressed Franz Liszt at a dinner party in France with his piano demonstration.
