Bizet's father was a wig maker and hairdresser.

The minimum age limit at the Paris Conservatoire was waived for Bizet, who was admitted when he was just nine.

Bizet's first symphony, composed when he was seventeen, was lost for nearly eighty years.

Bizet had a tendency to dream up illustrious projects, but never finish them.

Though Bizet was a brilliant pianist, he gave very few demonstrations of his skill.

Bizet served in the French National Guard during the Franco-Prussian war.

Bizet had great difficulty getting Carmen staged, partly because the story was considered scandalous.

At just thirty-six, Bizet died from a heart attack on his wedding anniversary.

Bizet struggled to finish compositions -- out of the thirty operas he started, only six were completed.

When Bizet died just three months after the premiere of his opera, Carmen, it was considered a flop; he would never know the enduring worldwide success that was to come.