 At the annual Paris Conservatoire Concours he won a "second Accessit" in 1909, a "first Accessit" in 1910, followed by a "Premier prix" in 1911 .Speyer became an extra oboist for the Orchestre Colonne, which accompanied the Ballets Russes in France, and in that way participated in several premieres of works by Ravel and Stravinsky.In early 1913 he joined the newly formed Orchestre du Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, conducted by Pierre Monteux, which gave its first performance on 2 April 1913.