Chabrier was born in Ambert, Puy-de-Dôme. Largely self-educated as a musician, Chabrier was for 18 years a civil servant in the French government before retiring to devote himself to musical composition.

Among his compositions are the operas Gwendoline (1886) and Le roi malgré lui (King in Spite of Himself, 1887) and the orchestral pieces España (1883) and Joyeuse marche (1888). He also composed choral works and music for piano and for voice and piano. 

Chabrier's style, characterized by rich color, vivacity, humor,  strongly marked rhythm and unconventional harmonies influenced such French composers as Maurice Ravel and Erik Satie.