
150 Years of “Carmen”
March 3, 2025, marks the 150th anniversary of the premiere of one of the most popular operas of all time: Georges Bizet’s Carmen. While today it is in constant rotation at opera houses around the world—beloved for its memorable tunes and dramatic love story—the opera was not an immediate hit when it premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Its poor initial reception may have even exacerbated Bizet’s already frail health. He died at age 36, just three months after the premiere. Read on to learn more about the turbulent beginnings of what is now a timeless classic.