Paul Tortelier played in the Paris Conservatoire under Charles Munch and Andre Cluytens. His first solo engagement was in the Lalo Concerto with the Concerts Lamoureux and in 1935, joined the Monte Carlo Orchestra. In 1937, he played Richard Strauss's Don Quizote under the composer and shortly afterwards went to the US and joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Koussevitzky. His recordings of the Bach Suites and his BBC Master Classes were major landmarks.