Carl Millöcker was one of the most successful operetta composers in Vienna during the second half of the 19th century. His style was theatrical and expressive, and he is often compared to Franz von Suppé and Johann Strauss II.

Millöcker was born in Vienna in 1842, and his father was a goldsmith. He displayed a strong musical aptitude early on, and in 1854 he enrolled at the Vienna Conservatory. His flute professor was Franz Xavier Zierer, and he studied music theory with Joseph Laimegger. Eventually Franz von Suppé became aware of Millöcker's reputation as a flutist, and in 1858 Suppé offered him a position in the orchestra at the Theater in der Josefstadt. Millöcker performed in this capacity for the next six years under Suppé's mentorship. Suppé taught him composition, and in 1864 he helped Millöcker acquire his first conducting position at the Thaliatheater in Graz.

In addition to his work as a conductor, Millöcker was also active as a composer, and by this time he had already produced several songs, farce pieces, and two short operettas. The Thaliatheater closed in 1866, which led him back to Vienna, where he was hired by the Theater an der Wien, but he didn't get along with the other performers and he was dismissed after just a few months. The following year, he was appointed music director of the German Theater in Budapest until 1869, when he returned to the Theater an der Wien as the assistant conductor.

Millöcker enjoyed his first major success as a composer in 1871 with his farce Drei Paar Schuhe, and he devoted more of his attention to composing thereafter. In the late 1870s he began composing longer, more elaborate operettas like Das verwunschene Schloss, Gräfin Dubarry, and Apajune der Wassermann. His Der Bettelstudent from 1882 was the most successful of his works from this period. Gasparone from 1884 was also well-received, and Millöcker was able to retire from conducting. His final success was the 1890 operetta Der arme Jonathan, which was particularly popular in the United States and in London. Millöcker began suffering from a series of debilitating strokes in 1894, and he passed away in 1899. In modern times, his music has been recorded by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Riccardo Muti, and many others. ~ RJ Lambert, Rovi