Career Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants.Concise Dictionary of National BiographyTertis's first instrument was the piano, and at thirteen he left home to earn a living as a pianist. In 1892 he had saved enough money to enter Trinity College of Music in London, where he had violin lessons under B.M. Carrodus, whilst continuing to learn the piano under R. W. Lewis for three intermittent terms. In 1895, after six months at Leipzig Conservatorium, Tertis entered the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London and studied the violin under Hans Wessely.Shore, Bernard (2009). Tertis, Lionel (1876 – 1975). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/31748 In 1897, whilst at the RAM, he was encouraged by the principal, Alexander Mackenzie, to take up the viola instead.This account is disputed by John White, who writes "It was another fellow student, Percy Hilder Miles, who made the casual request that would change the course of Tertis' life" (Lionel Tertis: The First Great Virtuoso of the Viola, page 5.) Under the additional influence of Oskar Nedbal, he did so and rapidly became one of the best-known violists of his time, touring Europe and the US as a soloist.
Career Tertis was born in West Hartlepool, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants.Concise Dictionary of National BiographyTertis's first instrument was the piano, and at thirteen he left home to earn a living as a pianist. In 1892 he had saved enough money to enter Trinity College of Music in London, where he had violin lessons under B.M. Carrodus, whilst continuing to learn the piano under R. W. Lewis for three intermittent terms. In 1895, after six months at Leipzig Conservatorium, Tertis entered the Royal Academ!y of Music (RAM) in London and studied the violin under Hans Wessely.Shore, B!ernard (2009). Tertis, Lionel (1876 – 1975). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/31748 In 1897, whilst at the RAM, he was encouraged by the principal, Alexander Mackenzie, to take up the viola instead.This account is disputed by John White, who writes "It was another fellow student, Percy Hilder Miles, who made the casual request that would change the course of Tertis' life" (Lionel Tertis: The First Great Virtuoso of the Viola, page 5.) Und:er the additional influence of Oskar Nedbal, he did so and rapidly became one of the best-known violists of his time, touring Europe and the US as a soloist.