Parlow's mother, Minnie, took her to live in San Francisco when Kathleen was four years old.
 Minnie Parlow bought her daughter a half-sized violin in San Francisco, and Kathleen began receiving lessons from a cousin of hers who was a professional violin teacher, Conrad Coward.
 Her progress was very rapid with the instrument, and she soon began to receive lessons from a violin professor, Henry Holmes.

To become a top professional violinist and to begin a concert career, Parlow followed the normal route for North Americans and moved to Europe.
 Kathleen and her mother arrived in London on January 1, 1905.
 Upon attending a concert by Mischa Elman, the Parlows decided to seek out Elman's teacher, Leopold Auer.
 Minnie and Kathleen Parlow had arrived in London with $300 raised by their church in San Francisco, which was not sufficient to get them to St. Petersburg, where Auer was a professor.
 To pay the cost of travel, the Parlows obtained a loan from Lord Strathcona, the Canadian High Commissioner.
 The pair travelled to Russia, and in October 1906, Kathleen Parlow became the first foreigner to attend the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
 In her class of forty-five students, Parlow was the only female.
Parlow's mother, Minnie, took her to live in San Francisco when Kathleen was four years old.  Minnie Parlow bought her daughter a half-sized violin in San Francisco, and Kathleen began receiving lessons from a cousin of hers who was a professional violin teacher, Conrad Coward.  Her progress was very rapid with the instrument, and she soon began to receive lessons from a violin professor, Henry Holmes.
To become a top professional violinist and to begin a concert career, Parlow followed the normal route for North Americans and moved to Europe.  Kathleen and her mother arrived in London on January 1, 1905.  Upon attending a concert by Mischa Elman, the Parlows decided to seek out Elman's teacher, Leopold Auer.  Minnie and Kathleen Parlow had arrived in London with $300 raised by their church in San Francisco, which was not sufficient to get them to St. Petersburg, where Auer was a professor.  To pay the cost of travel, the Parlows obtained a loan from Lord Strathcona, the Canadian High Commissioner.  The pair travelled to Russia, and in October 1906, Kathleen Parlow became the first foreigner to attend the St. Petersburg Conservatory.  In her class of forty-five students, Parlow was the only female.
Kathleen Parlow