Gerald Peregrine

Cellist Gerald Peregrine has a wide repertory and range of musical interests, from concertos to chamber music, orchestral playing, and popular session work. He is a member of Ireland's Ensemble Avalon. Peregrine grew up not just in a musical household, but one inhabited by noted professionals: his uncle was popular tenor Frank Patterson, and his mother, violinist Sheila O'Grady. Peregrine started violin lessons at three, switched to cello at five, and persisted after an aunt paid him 20 pence per lesson. He attended the Royal College of Music in London and then won a Fulbright Scholarship to attend Indiana University in the U.S. In 1996, he won two major prizes: best string musician at the RTÉ Musician of the Future competition and a slot representing Ireland at the European Young Musician of the Future competition. These propelled Peregrine to an appearance at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, which became an annual part of his calendar for many years. From 2003 to 2005, Peregrine was sub-principal cellist with Ireland's RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, moving next to the post of co-principal cellist of the Wexford Opera. He has played concertos with all the major Irish orchestras. Peregrine has perhaps been most active as a chamber musician. His recital history includes appearances before members of the British royal family at Kensington Palace. Peregrine has toured extensively, to the U.S., the Far East, as well as in the British Isles with Trio Festivale, since 2008. He has also toured with the chamber orchestra Camerata Ireland. He is a member of Ensemble Avalon, performing with that group during a three-year residency at Trinity College Dublin (the group was the college's first resident ensemble). That group has made several recordings, and Peregrine has released several solo recordings. In 2019, he released the album Folk Tales, devoted to small British and Irish works for cello and piano. In addition to this busy schedule, Peregrine has played as a session musician on recordings by more than two dozen top-level pop musicians, including Sinead O'Connor, Josh Groban, and Joss Stone. He is an energetic presenter of primary school music workshops around Ireland.
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