Ansermet was born in Vevey on . Following in his father's footsteps, he received, in 1903, a degree in mathematics, followed by a professorship in the field for four years at Lausanne University. He gradually took a greater interest in music and decided to study composition with Ernest Bloch. On his own he also learned conducting, taking Francisco de Lacerda, the conductor at Montreux, as his role model.
Ansermet's first concerts as conductor were in Lausanne in...