Peter Schaffer Obituary

Peter S. Schaffer, 3/30/1930-3/1/2023

Peter Sylvester Schaffer, of Champaign passed away March 1, 2023 at 92.
Peter was born March 30, 1930 in Berlin Germany, the son of Sylvester and Lilly (Kruger) Schaffer. Peter and his parents left Germany in September 1939, on the last train out of Germany before Hitler closed the border.

Peter first studied violin with his father before attending the Munich Conservatory and at age 9 he debuted his musical career in Lisbon, Portugal. At age 16 Peter began his career as an orchestral musician with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Peter won first prize in the orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, which earned him four concerts, and appeared as a soloist at the Aspen and Teton Music Festivals.

His major influence and teacher became Roman Totenberg, first violin in the Alma Trio in Los Angeles. “He took me under his wing, also in a personal way, because by my late teens he had lost both parents.” His mother was killed in an accident when he was 12. His father was gravely injured in the accident and died from the injuries when he was 19, Peter said.

Totenberg introduced Peter to Yehudi Menuhin who encouraged him to pursue his musical career— “he said I had great warmth.” At Totenberg’s suggestion, Peter continued his studies at the Mannes School of Music in New York, meanwhile performing at concerts in New York and touring with Totenberg and a small music ensemble.

During the Korean War, Peter was eligible for a deferment from Army service but chose to join the Army. At the last possible second, because of his knowledge of German, his orders were changed from duty in Korea to Germany. There, after two years with an infantry unit, he joined the Seventh Army Symphony Orchestra in Stuttgart. Peter also formed his own string quartet, the Seventh Army String Quartet. The quartet performed in Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. At the end of his Army service, he went through release procedures at the same depot where he had undergone basic training. He discovered that the entire group he had trained with, about 25 men, had been annihilated in Korea. He was the only one left.

He returned to the United States, he resumed his studies with Totenberg and finished his Artist’s Diploma at the Mannes School in New York. Peter then worked with the Denver Symphony as assistant concertmaster, the Baltimore Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and as co-concertmaster with the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia, with which he did a great deal of touring, recording for RCA records, and recorded with the National Educational Television (U.S.A.), was composer and arranger.
After appointments as professor of violin at the University of Denver and professor of music at the University of Kentucky, he held the joint posts of associate concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony Seiji Ozawa and concertmaster of the San Francisco Opera.

By now, eager to conduct, Peter accepted a position with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 1976 as conductor, concertmaster, music advisor, and soloist.

During his eight years of leading the NZSO, he made frequent appearances both as a soloist and conductor with the NZSO. Peter also performed in Australia as soloist and guest concertmaster with Melbourne and Sydney Symphonies. He was also a frequent visitor as soloist and concertmaster in Japan.

Among his recordings during that period are Bartok’s Second Violin Concerto with the NZSO, Prokofiev’s D Major Concerto No. 1 with the Melbourne Symphony, and the Brahms D Minor and Prokofiev F Minor Sonatas.

Throughout his career Peter shared his life with his wife, Zoe, whom he met when they both played in the Denver Symphony.

Peter’s connection with the UI was established through Ian Hobson who appeared as a soloist with the NZSO in 1982. Since returning back to the US, Peter had been a member of Hobson’s widely known professional chamber orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera.

During the summers, while teaching at the UI, Peter and Zoe would take part in the Classical Music Seminar/Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, directed by UI School of Music Director Don V. Moses. In addition to being concertmaster, Peter taught master classes. “It’s a wonderful place, with exciting exchanges between musicians from other areas, and the enchantment of performing in the Haydnsaal Schloss Esterhazy Palace and in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna” Peter said.

Looking back over his career, Peter once said, “I’ve had it all— soloed, been leader of orchestras, done some conducting, and taught many students. At this point in my life, I find that, besides my family, my students are my life’s work. Playing chamber music and my teaching are what I have enjoyed the most. I have, as excellent students as can be found anywhere—all very dedicated musicians and hard workers. I love them dearly.”

Peter enjoyed life immensely, he always was “looking for new horizons, not to conquer, but to partake of them”. He was grateful to have been given the privilege and the opportunity to make music for more than 65 years.

Survivors include his son, Eric.