Swiss-born Ganz became head of piano studies at the Chicago Musical College in 1901. In 1923 he received the Légion d'honneur of France for his introduction of the works of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel to American audiences, and in later years he performed and conducted pieces by Pierre Boulez, John Cage and Arthur Honegger. In 1931, he was guest conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.