Peter Cropper was born in Southport, Lancashire. He comes from a musical family; his grandfather was Leader of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and his uncle Principal viola player in the BBC Philharmonic for 35 years. At the age of 13 he won a music scholarship to Uppingham School and whilst there joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain where he met his wife to be, Nina Martin. He continued his violin studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with his future father-in-law, David Martin, where he won many prizes including that for the best final year recital. He also founded the internationally acclaimed Lindsay String Quartet of which he was the leader for over 30 years before they retired in July 2005. Peter is enjoying being part of a Piano Trio with friends and colleagues Moray Welsh and Martin Roscoe, with whom he is also recording all the Beethoven Violin Sonatas. The first two CDs are available on the Sanctuary label.

Over the years, alongside his heavy international performance schedule, he has given many solo recitals and has performed concertos with over a dozen different orchestras. He plays on a Golden period Stradivarius violin. Peter is also teaching an MA in String Quartet performance at Sheffield University. He often gives talks for the BBC and was invited to sit on the music panel of the Arts Council of Great Britain, which gave him an insight into the need to promote music as well as play it. In 1994 he was awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society prize for ‘consistently imaginative programming' of the Music in the Round concert series in Sheffield. In 2000 he won a Creative Briton award for his outstanding vision, leadership and creativity in the musical life of Great Britain. Peter has been awarded many honorary degrees, including Doctorates from the Universities of Leicester, Sheffield and Manchester.

Outside of music, Peter's main loves are wine and food (having been born in one of the best wine years of the century, 1945) and he has nearly finished renovating a 17th century farmhouse tucked away in the Peak District. He has 2 children, a son who is following in his father's footsteps as a violinist and a daughter who plays the oboe and conducts.