Dvořák was encouraged to write a violin concerto by his publisher Simrock, after compositions such as Slavonic Dances and his Symphony No.

[1] The composer sought advice from the violinist Joseph Joachim, the director of the Musikhochschule Berlin, who had played his chamber music in concerts, including the world premiere of his String Sextet in A major.

Dvořák composed the work with the intention of dedicating it to him, and hoped for a premiere played by Joachim.

The concerto was first performed in the United States on 30 October 1891, at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.

[6] The concerto is scored for solo violin and an orchestra consisting of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (in A), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.