Jean Sibelius began to composed his violin concerto in September 1902. The work was completed in short score (that is, with the orchestration worked out but not written down in detail) in the fall of 1903. He finished the full score about New Year 1904. After its world premiere, Sibelius withdrew the work for revision, a task he accomplished in June 1905
The first version was premiered on February 8, 1904. Victor Nováček was soloist, with the composer conducting the Helsingfors Philharmonic, at Helsingfors (Helsinki). In its new and present form, the work received its premiere on October 19, 1905. Karl Halir was soloist, with Richard Strauss on the podium, in Berlin, Germany.
