Carl Goldmark was born in the small town of Keszthely, Hungary, where his father was a cantor. With his recognized musical talent he sent his son to study in Vienna. His half brother Joseph paid for his studies. Both brothers were involved in revolutionary activities in 1848 and consequently were arrested: Joseph managed to flee the country and Carl was saved from being executed thatks to the intervention of one of his friends.
Goldmark settled in Vienna and became a teacher. He was also a conductor and a composer of orchestra music. Some of his works had great success in Vienna and other cities, among them the opera The Queen of Sheba (1875), and his symphony Laendische Hochzeit (1876), on which he worked for ten years. He wrote other operas, violin concertos and chamber music. Goldmark encouraged performances of Wagner in Austria. His autobiography was translated into English as Notes from the Life of a Viennese Composer (1927).