Albert Spalding (1888-1953) was an American violinist and composer, one of the first American-born violinists to achieve a major international reputation. Born in Chicago, he studied in Europe and made his professional debut while still young.

Spalding’s repertory included the central Romantic and Classical violin literature, and he was also active in American musical life as a performer, writer and teacher. In the Pristine catalogue he appears with Ernő Dohnányi in Brahms and Dohnányi.

His playing belonged to the pre-war virtuoso tradition: lyrical, cultivated and shaped by a strong sense of line. He combined elegance with a clean, disciplined technique.

Spalding’s name deserves remembering as part of the first generation of American string players to stand confidently on the international stage. His recordings catch a polished voice from that formative world.