 In February 1902 Grainger made his first appearance as a piano soloist with an orchestra , playing Tchaikovsky 's first piano concerto with the Bath Pump Room Orchestra . In October of that year he toured Britain in a concert party with Adelina Patti , the Italian @-@ born opera singer . Patti was greatly taken by the young pianist and prophesied a glorious career for him . The following year he met the German @-@ Italian composer and pianist Ferruccio Busoni . Initially the two men were on cordial terms ( Busoni offered to give Grainger lessons free of charge ) and as a result , Grainger spent part of the 1903 summer in Berlin as Busoni 's pupil . However , the visit was not a success ; as Bird notes , Busoni had expected " a willing slave and adoring disciple " , a role Grainger was not willing to fulfil . Grainger returned to London in July 1903 ; almost immediately he departed with Rose on a 10 @-@ month tour of Australia , New Zealand and South Africa , as a member of a party organised by the Australian contralto Ada Crossley . 
