Born in Cottbus, Breslaur attended the Gymnasium in his hometown and the teachers' seminary in Neuzelle.
In 1863, he went to Berlin and studied there for four years at the Stern Conservatory, where he was particularly concerned with the pedagogical side of piano teaching.
His teachers were Jean Vogt and Heinrich Ehrlich (piano), Flodoard Geyer and Friedrich Kiel (composition), Hugo Schwantzer (organ) and Julius Stern (score reading and conducting).
In 1878, he founded the journal Der Klavier-Lehrer, which he edited until his death; in 1883, he became choirmaster of the Reformed Synagogue in Berlin.
[1] In addition to his teaching and composing activities, Breslaur also wrote music criticism and published several books.