The Bohemian Girl, a grand opera in three acts by Michael William Balfe, was one of the biggest operatic successes to come out of the English theaters in the nineteenth century. Few English operas attained international acclaim, or were produced in the larger opera houses in other countries in the nineteenth century. The Bohemian Girl was a popular success in England, the United States, France, Germany, Austria, and Spain. It earned for the composer the cross of the Legion of Honor from Napoleon III after a five-act version of the work was staged in Paris in 1869, and the Regent of Spain made Balfe a member of the Order of Carlos III. Balfe himself was dedicated to promoting English opera in London. He wrote several works for the English stage, and became a manager of London's opera theater. He began composing The Bohemian Girl in 1841. After a brief stint in Paris, during which time composition on the opera temporarily ceased, Balfe returned to his work in 1843. The Bohemian Girl premiered at the Her Majesty's Theater in Covent Garden on November 27, 1843, and was a huge success.

Although not a genius or brilliant musician, Balfe wrote easily for the voice, and produced popular melodies that immediately won him audience acclaim. His score is inventive and varied, making prominent use of the chorus, instrumental music, and ensembles of all kinds, from the duet to the quintet. The plot of his libretto comes from a story by Miguel Cervantes called La Gitanilla written in 1613, and found in his Novelas Exemplares. The Cervantes story was the basis for two libretti by the Marquis de Saint-Georges, who wrote both a ballet and an opera on the subject. These libretti were the sources used by Alfred Bunn when he constructed his operatic text for Balfe. The story concerns a gypsy girl, and is highly romantic and colorful.

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