Peter Caelen began his studies at the Conservatories of Maastricht and Amsterdam with Frans van Beveren, Joop Celis, and Willem Brons, continuing in London with Peter Feuchtwanger and in Saarbrücken with Thomas Duis. He also attended masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Peter Donohoe, Lazar Berman, Eugen Indjic, Piotr Paleczny, and Jan Michiels.
His competition achievements include first prize at the Prinses Christina Concours in Den Bosch, finalist at the International Johannes Brahms Competition, and a prize at the Ibla Grand Prize in Italy. In 2005, the Muziekgebouw Frits Philips in Eindhoven invited him to present his own concert series as part of the “Zuiderlicht” program.
Peter Caelen has performed in prestigious venues across Europe, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, De Doelen in Rotterdam, the Rhein Mosel Halle in Koblenz, the Great Hall of the Royal Conservatory in Brussels, and Holywell Music Room in Oxford. In recent years, he has expanded his activity in Asia, giving concerts in over 30 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Qingdao, and in 2022 he performed and led masterclasses in Jakarta, Medan, and Semarang, Indonesia.
He is a regular guest at international festivals, including Klevischer Klaviersommer (Germany), Kamarihelmi Festival (Finland), Spectrum Festival (Slovenia), Alba Music Festival (Italy), Krakow Musical Autumn (Poland), and Klassz a Parton (Hungary). As a chamber musician, he frequently performs in a duo with cellist Olsi Leka, and collaborates with numerous other distinguished artists. His performances are also featured on recordings and radio broadcasts.
Since 2006, Peter Caelen has served as the artistic director of the internationally renowned Excellent Concerts series and as programmer of the Muziek Klassiek Gulpen series.