Violinist Yossif Ivanov is all of 19 and hails from Antwerp.As part of being chosen for the honor of making his “distinctive debut” at the Weill Recital Hall, he also is scheduled to appear at the Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Parisian Cite de la Musique. The varied program he offered on Friday belied his age but left me only partially satisfied.

Two contrasting first impressions lingered throughout the evening. First, Mr. Ivanov appeared in his New York debut with the uneven bottom of his red sport shirt hanging free from his trousers. Considering that accompanist Daniel Blumenthal was adorned formally, this sartorial decision seemed disrespectful, especially within the faded opulence of Weill (memo to Mr. Gillinson – call the upholsterer!).

Second, Mr. Ivanov has an immediately arresting tone, creamy and rich, supple and muscular. He is fortunate to be able to ply his trade on the “Piatti” Stradivarius of 1717, producing a sound that would have made an impression even if created by a mature performer. It was how he utilized his talents that gave me pause.

Apparently it is not just American conservatories that emphasize the gingerly approach to violin playing these days. Mr. Ivanov, admittedly a bit nervous perhaps, seemed much more focused on not making any mistakes than in communicating the works of the masters. Bearing in mind his age, some of his technical skills are well-advanced, but others need work. Interpretively, he has yet to blossom.

The first and last pieces on this program were the best presented. For the Sonata K. 301 of Mozart, Mr. Ivanov was confident, even playful, producing a pleasingly full-bodied sound for Wolfgang that would be the envy of many of his elders. This was a lively account with none of the contemporary self-effacement that haunts Mozart realizations today.

Parts of the Prokofiev First Sonata were also impressive, particularly the spidery workouts in the left hand that open and close this mysterious tone painting. Mr. Ivanov is part of a direct lineage to the composer, in the sense that he studied with Igor Oistrakh, son of David, the sonata’s dedicatee. But if there is secret wisdom to impart, he left this audience out in the cold. Although reasonably accurate throughout (again, he’s 19), Mr. Ivanov strayed during the more raucous parts of this clangorous piece. He also needs to spend considerable time on his pizzicato, which is rough and maddeningly uneven. Choosing this particular sonata, with its many plucked passages, showed poor judgment. Further, there was a lack of coordination with the piano that threatened several times to derail this runaway train, the violinist sometimes as much as an entire beat behind. When the Andante turned into the Allegrissimo, Mr. Blumenthal was ready to go immediately, but Mr. Ivanov needed a moment.

The surprise of the evening was the U.S. premiere of “Pavana e gagliarda” by one of Mr. Ivanov’s teachers, Rafael D’Haene. This Ivanov commission (did I mention that he is only 19?) turned out to be exciting and evocative and, most desirable for a contemporary work, short. It is essentially two courtly dances, one stately and one swirling, with a highly dissonant middle section, a time warp from 16th to 21st centuries. Mr. Ivanov handled it with authority.

The choice of the long Fantasy in C major, D. 934 of Schubert, with its emphasis on the pizzicato once again, was dubious and its rendition bordered on the tedious. To me, these narrative works of Schubert can be a bit overblown and require especially skillful mastery to keep them interesting. Mr. Ivanov is simply not there yet.

The program ended with a promising encore, the violin and piano version of Tchaikovsky’s gleaming Valse-Scherzo. It took all evening, but finally Mr. Ivanov exhibited that most important quality of all: flair, at least in Slavic brio.