Igor Ozim was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia. After finishing his studies in his hometown he studied with Max Rostal in London, winning the Carl Flesch-Competition, in 1951, followed by the first prize in the ARD Competition Munich in 1953. This was followed by an intense concert activity in Europe and overseas.

His large repertoire encompasses some 60 violin concertos and numerous chamber music works. Many contemporary works of which he has given first performances are dedicated to him. He has performed with important international orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and many others. Igor Ozim recorded extensively from the classical as well as from the contemporary repertoire.

One of the most sought-after violin teachers in Europe he teaches at the Musikhochschule in Cologne and at the Conservatoire Berne. He has given masterclasses all over the world and is jury member at most of the important competitions.