upon his graduation from high school at 16, aronson moved to berlin to study law. during his first semester he met a doctor who was an amateur cellist. the doctor, after hearing aronson play, introduced him to julius klengel in leipzig. aronson began studying cello with klengel and soon gave up law to focus on music. after a year with klengel, lev began his studies with alfred von glehn at the klindworth-scharwenka conservatory in berlin. when von glehn died, gregor piatigorsky took over his class. piatigorsky was to become aronson's life-long mentor and friend. aronson began performing locally with three german friends in the peters string quartet in 1931.