[1] Subsequent to his Carnegie Hall recital debut at the age of 20, Tree appeared as violin and viola soloist with major orchestras, including the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New Jersey.

As a founding member of the Marlboro Trio and the Guarneri Quartet, he played throughout the world and recorded more than 80 chamber music works.

He appeared as himself in the 1999 film Music of the Heart, starring Meryl Streep and, among other famous violinists, fellow Guarneri Quartet member Arnold Steinhardt, who, with his photographer wife Dorothea von Haeften, played an important role in the real-life story.

During his early years with the Guarneri Quartet, Tree played on a viola made by mid-20th century luthier Harvey Fairbanks of Binghamton, New York.

[4] Tree's father, Samuel Applebaum, was a nationally known violin pedagogue who wrote many articles and books about music and composed or edited extensive teaching materials.