Robert McDuffie is an American violinist renowned for his performances with leading orchestras across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. A native of Macon, Georgia, he studied at the Juilliard School under Dorothy DeLay and has built an international career as a concerto soloist. McDuffie earned a Grammy nomination in 1990 for recordings of concertos by Leonard Bernstein and William Schuman. He is also co-founder and artistic director of the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy. In 2016, he toured with childhood friend and former R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, performing a concerto for violin, rock band, and string orchestra. His recordings include works by Samuel Barber, Felix Mendelssohn, Max Bruch, John Adams, and Philip Glass, whose Second Violin Concerto he recorded in 2010. In addition to his recording and performing work, McDuffie has also led the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, which aims to provide talented string students the opportunity to learn with renowned string musicians.
