This chapter examines the early intersections of virtuosity and cosmopolitanism in the careers of Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin, arguing that part of what counted as skill in their reception was the very versatility of their musical labor and the breadth of their appeal. I begin by briefly considering early moments in the careers of both musicians, exploring the draw of Yehudi Menuhin as a violin prodigy and Ravi Shankar’s experiences touring with the dance troupe led by his brother, Uday Shankar. I then contrast Menuhin’s early specialization with the increasing versatility of his musical activities in the 1950s, including his promotion of Hindustani music on television, in the press, and on LP records. Cosmopolitan virtuosity involved a new way of metaphorically looking at the virtuoso that also occurred in the context of quite literal shifts in the visual mediation of musical performance. Hindustani musicians like Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan further presented a view of the virtuoso as cultural spokesman and ambassador, allowing listeners to encounter the familiar figure of the virtuoso rooted in a tradition that was still considered exotic and radically other.