Peter McCaffrey

Artist Picture

Peter McCaffrey

Cello

Joanne Danto and Arnold Weingarden Chair

DSO member since 2012

Peter McCaffrey has been a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra cello section since 2012.

Prior to joining the DSO, McCaffrey served as principal cellist of the Louisville Orchestra and of the South Florida Symphony. Since moving to Detroit, McCaffrey has become an advocate for the role that the arts can play in helping to revitalize a city. He is frequently found performing in schools, hospitals, retirement homes, bars, religious institutions, and was featured in a National Geographic video about the comeback of Detroit.

McCaffrey has soloed with many orchestras including subscription concerts with the Louisville Orchestra, the Royal Oak Symphony, and the Windy City String Ensemble while on tour in Australia. As a chamber musician, McCaffrey has had the opportunity to travel around the country and abroad performing in concert series and music festivals. His college string quartet was a finalist in the Coleman International Chamber Music Competition and he currently performs with the Great Waters String quartet made up of fellow DSO musicians.

McCaffrey earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cello performance from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. His primary teachers include Eleonore Schoenfeld, Gerard Mantel, Richard Hirschl, and Gilda Barston. McCaffrey performs on an 1880 Postiglione cello.