His extraordinary talent manifested itself when he was only 4, and it was carefully fostered by his father, under whose instruction he made such progress that at age 6 he was accepted as a pupil of Jacob Dont. He also studied with Jacques Auber until, at 7, he entered the Vienna Conservatory, where his principal teachers were Hellmesberger Jr. (violin) and Bruckner (theory). He gave his first performance there when he was 9 and was awarded its gold medal at 10. He subsequently studied with Massart (violin) and Delibes (composition) at the Paris Conservatory, sharing the premier prix in violin with 4 other students (1887). He made his U.S. debut in Boston on Nov. 9, 1888; then toured the country during the 1889-90 season with the pianist Moriz Rosenthal, but had only moderate success. Returning to Europe, he abandoned music to study medicine in Vienna and art in Rome and Paris; then served as an officer in the Austrian army (1895-96). Resuming his concert career, he appeared as a soloist with Richter and the Vienna Philharmonic on Jan. 23, 1898. His subsequent appearance as a soloist with Nikisch and the Berlin Philharmonic on Dec. 1, 1899, launched his international career.