Soloist, collaborator, and teacher—cellist Samuel DeCaprio is a dynamic performer and active freelancer based in the Tri-State area. As the Founder and Artistic Director of the Arazzo Music Festival, DeCaprio oversees the executive administration and artistic curation of the Connecticut-based nonprofit, which he founded in 2022 to provide free, high-caliber chamber music and educational programming to the community.

DeCaprio’s New York debut featured the North American premiere of Grażyna Bacewicz’s Cello Concerto No. 2 with the Juilliard Orchestra and conductor David Robertson in Alice Tully Hall. A versatile presence in New York’s commercial and theatrical landscapes, he has performed as a substitute with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, and Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared regularly with the Metropolis Ensemble and New York Classical Players. He has served as first cellist for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra and has performed in the orchestras of numerous Broadway productions, including Old Friends (starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga), Aladdin, Gypsy, Ragtime, Redwood, and Sunset Blvd, among others.

A dedicated educator and passionate chamber musician, DeCaprio’s festival appearances include Ravinia Steans Music Institute, IMS Prussia Cove, Les Rencontres Musicales de Noyers-sur-Serein, Domaine Forget, Kneisel Hall, Lake George, Meadowmount, and Orford Musique. He has performed alongside distinguished artists including Atar Arad, Paul Biss, Natasha Brofsky, Steven Doane, Vladimir Feltsman, Joseph Lin, Daniel Phillips, David Shifrin, Barry Snyder, and Irma Vallecillo. His honors include the Norman Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant from Juilliard, the Aldo Parisot Prize from Yale, and the Performer’s Certificate from Eastman, with top prizes in the Arlington, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, and William C. Byrd competitions.

DeCaprio holds degrees from the University of Connecticut (Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude), Eastman School of Music (Master of Music), Mannes School of Music (Professional Studies Diploma), Yale School of Music (Master of Musical Arts), and The Juilliard School (Doctor of Musical Arts). His principal teachers include Joel Krosnick, Aldo Parisot, Marcy Rosen, Steven Doane, and Kangho Lee. His recordings can be heard on the Delos, ECM Records, MSR Classics, and Nonesuch labels.