Sapelnikoff offers a one-bar quotation from Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B-flat on the upper-half of a birthday book page (for Oct. 21 although there is some question a to what day he was actually born). At his debut in Hamburg in 1888, he played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor with the composer conducting. Tchaikovsky considered Sapelnikoff a great talent and toured with him in 1889, helping to launch his career in Europe. He is known also for his performances of Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Chopin. Among his recordings, in 1905 he performed 12 pieces for the reproducing piano Welte-Mignon, including six of his own works.