Massimo Macrì began his musical studies at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome, continuing them later them with André Navarra and Siegfried Palm. After winning various national and international competitions, in 1983 he received the "Cimento d’Oro" for classical music. He was the principal cellist in the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona, the Orchestra of the RAI in Milan and the Orchestra of the RAI in Rome. He is currently principal cello of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, based in Turin.

 He has also collaborated as principal cellist with the National Orchestra of Santa Cecilia, with the The Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra, with the Orchestra of Munich, and the Symphony Orchestra of Tenerife. As far as his commitments with the Orchestra of the RAI permit, he is active as a soloist with orchestras, in duos and in various chamber ensembles, performing with major artists.

 He has enjoyed numerous collaborations with leading conductors such as Semyon Bichkov, Carlo Maria Giulini, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Inbal, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, and Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Georges Pretre, receiving unanimous approval in the repertoires of composers such as Wagner, Strauss, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Brahms, and Berg. He has recorded several CDs for RAI. He has played in many European countries and nations abroad, including Japan, the Middle East, Australia and South America, and has recorded for radio stations in Switzerland, France, South American and the Soviet Union.

 He has taught in the Conservatory of Music in Latina. He currently teaches in the Conservatory “Giuseppe Verdi” in Torino, and in post-graduate courses at the Accademia Musicale in Saluzzo. He has also taught in Japan, Brazil and Spain, in the Conservatory of Las Palmas. Of him Rostropovich said: “I know and love the fantastic cellist Massimo Macrì, whose extraordinary qualities include a profound sense of music, a sound of exceptional beauty, and excellent technique. He possesses all the gifts necessary to occupy a position worthy of the highest recognition among cello soloists”.