Emanuel Bay's impressive academic background began with his graduation from the Imperial Conservatory of St Petersburg in 1914, where he achieved First Prize in Piano. This remarkable achievement marked the starting point of his illustrious career, which would take him on a tour of Russia, Siberia, Germany, and the Scandinavian Countries from 1914 to 1922.
During this period, Bay was also affiliated with the Moscow Conservatoire, serving as a Professor of Music Instruction. It was during this time that he crossed paths with Efrem Zimbalist, who would later extend an invitation to Bay to join him in America as a pianist. Bay accepted this invitation and embarked on a seven-year touring journey alongside Zimbalist.
After his tenure with Zimbalist, Bay joined forces with the renowned violinist Jascha Heifetz, an association that would last for over two decades. During this time, Bay and Heifetz collaborated on a groundbreaking project, recording the complete collection of Beethoven's Sonatas for piano and violin.
Eventually, Bay decided to retire from the concert stage in 1954 and dedicated himself to teaching. He became a valued member of the faculty at the Music School of the University of Southern California and also taught piano at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
