She was born in Cabourg, France, the daughter of French baritone Auguste Louis Giraud and Jenny Gabrielle Vaillant of Paris (9 May 1857 – 1903).

[1][2] Auguste Giraud was the director of the Graslin Theater in Nantes where Carré made her stage debut in 1899 as Mimì in Puccini's La bohème.

Their daughter Jenny Carré (1902–1945) would eventually take up a career in theater costume design.

[4] In Paris, Carré was hailed as a "celebrated soprano" who created roles in 15 works at the Opéra-Comique.

[3] When American soprano Rosa Ponselle decided to add the role of Carmen to her repertoire, she studied with the Carré's for two months in 1935 before her Metropolitan Opera performance.