Born: Oct. 25, 1838
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: June 3, 1875 in Bougival near Paris
Also Known As: Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet, French composer who influenced the verismo school of opera
Type of Compositions: Bizet wrote operas, orchestral works, incidental music, compositions for piano and songs.
Influence: He came from a musically-inclined family. His father taught singing and his mother was a pianist. He later on studied with Charles Gounod and Fromental Halévy.
Musical Work: Undoubtedly, Bizet's greatest work is his opera Carmen which was based on a story by French author Prosper Mérimée. All in all he published 8 operas, including Pêcheurs de perles, 12 piano duets, 37 published songs and some orchestral and incidental music.
Interesting Fact: Bizet won in the prestigious Prix de Rome for his cantata Clovis et Clotilde. He also served as a national guard during the siege of Paris.
Music Sheet/Midi Sample: Soldiers Chorus from Carmen
