Robert McDuffie plays a coveted violin made in Cremona nearly 300 years ago. But the Emmy Award-winning American musician’s love for Italy’s great works of art extends beyond his multi-million dollar instrument and the compositions he plays on it. He shares his passion for music with visitors through the Rome Chamber Music Festival, which he founded in 2003. Now a fixture of the Roman cultural scene, the festival brings emerging and established musicians to the Eternal City to perform contemporary and classical music in small ensembles.
We sat down with McDuffie — who has appeared as a soloist with the world’s foremost orchestras on five continents and is also the founder of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia — to hear more about the festival, his top tips for music lovers in Rome and what he loves most about the city.
Robert McDuffie’s Rome
Italy Magazine: Tell us more about your connection with the Rome Chamber Music Festival.
Robert McDuffie: I created the festival in 2003 after a residency at the American Academy in Rome in 2002. I loved my time there so much that I wanted to return to Rome, not as a tourist, but as a contributing artist.
IM: What experiences should music lovers not miss in the Eternal City?
RM: You mean besides the Rome Chamber Music Festival? (Laughs). For big orchestral music, of course, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is a must. Otherwise, I’d explore more intimate concert series in stunning locations, such as Villa Medici or Palazzo Farnese (at the French Embassy).
IM: Tell us about your perfect evening out in Rome.
RM: Walking in Piazza Navona at 2 am. You have Borromini (who was behind the design of the Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone), Bernini (who designed the piazza’s Fountain of the Four Rivers), and the Eternal City all to yourself.
IM: You've traveled the world performing. What led you to Rome, and what makes Italy’s capital special as a music performance destination?
RM: I fell in love with Rome thousands of miles away in Tokyo. I was touring with Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and after singing karaoke in a hotel bar, the musicians invited me to Rome. Of course, once I arrived, I realized that the music I create must be commensurate with the beauty of the city.
IM: Rome has some spectacular music venues, such as the Baths of Caracalla, which become an opera house in the summer. Which venue is your favorite?
RM: This is like asking me to pick a favorite child. I have loved all of the venues for the festival, but Oratorio del Gonfalone will always be special for its intimate beauty. I also believe our festival found its voice there — we grew into a significant and meaningful addition to Rome’s cultural life.
IM: Which Rome neighborhood do you recommend staying in?
RM: I stay near the Pantheon when I’m in Rome. Waking up and seeing the world’s most beautiful monuments still takes my breath away.
Hear McDuffie perform Giuseppe Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata (Violin Sonata in G Minor) on the opening night of the Rome Chamber Music Festival on June 16 or Johannes Brahms’ monumental Piano Quintet in F Minor on June 17.
If you go
Rome Chamber Music Festival
June 16-19, 2025
and (Italy Magazine Community, use code MUSIC50 for half-off tickets).
