Bull was born in Bergen. At the age of four or five, he could play all of the songs he had heard his mother play on the violin. At nine years old, he played first violin in the orchestra of Bergen's theatre and he was a soloist with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

He eventually became a high level virtuoso, giving hundreds of thousands of concerts (274 in England in one year), became very famous, and made a huge fortune. He also was a clever luthier, after studies in Paris with Vuillaume. He collected many beautiful violins and violas of Amati, Gasparo da Salò, Guarneri Stradivari and others. He was the owner of one of the finest violin of the world, the wonderful Renaissance violin carved, gilted and decorated, made by Gasparo da Salò about 1574 for Ferdinand II Archduke of Austria. He used it for his very powerful tone, in pair with the magnificent Guarneri del Gesù. Now the violin, a gift of the widow to the birthplace, is in the Bergen Vestlandske Kustindustrimuseum.

Robert Schumann once wrote that Bull was among "the greatest of all," and that he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Bull was also a friend of Franz Liszt and played with him on several occasions.

Bull at his home on Lysøen 17 August 1880. He had held his last concert in Chicago the same year. In 2006, director Aslak Aarhus released a motion picture titled Ole Bull--The Titan.