Szigeti was born Joseph "Jóska" Singer to a Jewish family in Budapest, Austria-Hungary. His mother died when he was three years old, and soon thereafter the boy was sent to live with his grandparents in the little Carpathian town of Máramaros-Sziget (hence the name "Szigeti"). He grew up surrounded by music, as the town band was composed almost entirely of his uncles. After a few informal lessons on the "cimbalom" from his aunt, he received his first lessons on the violin from his Uncle Bernat at the age of six.