He is a cellist born in Waco, Texas who started learning the cello at school at 10 years old and went on to study for his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Juilliard School.
After starting his musical career he became a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for a year, performed with the New York String Orchestra and from 1983 to 1986 held the position of Principal Cello of the Cincinnati Symphony.
He was the third prize winner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1986. That same year, when he was 27 years old, he was appointed as Principal Cello with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Sir Georg Solti, which made him one of the youngest musicians to have earned the position. Since joining the CSO he has performed as a soloist on many occasions in premieres, concertos and in performances with artists that have included Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Muti, Itzak Perlman and Mstislav Rostropovich. He has also been a guest performer with artists that include the Southwest Symphony Orchestra.
As a chamber musician he has collaborated with artists that include Yo-Yo Ma, the Vermeer Quartet and Pinchas Zukerman and been a participant at several music festivals that include the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Marlboro, Santa Fe and Vail.
In the field of musical education he as been a Professor of Cello at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He has also been a coach at the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the National Orchestral Association, the National Youth Orchestra and the New World Symphony and held numerous masterclasses both nationally and internationally.
Recordings he has performed on include Bach: Mass in B Minor, Samuel Barber: The Lovers, Prayers of Kierkegaard, Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, Soloists of the Orchestra Vol. 3, Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 5/Swan Lake Suite and Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of the Silk Road Chicago by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Elliott Carter – Piano Concert/Variations for Orchestra by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and A Fresh Aire Christmas and Christmas Sweet Memories by Mannheim Steamroller along with many others.
Sources:
- https://cso.org/about/performers/chicago-symphony-orchestra/cello/john-sharp/
- https://www.roosevelt.edu/academics/faculty/profile/jsharp
- https://csosoundsandstories.org/a-view-from-the-first-chair-cso-principal-cellist-john-sharp/
- https://www.cedillerecords.org/artists/john-sharp/
- https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-ent-slavic-dna-st-1109-story.html
- https://bachtrack.com/master-class-video/cello-masterclass-with-john-sharp/348695
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/430737-John-Sharp
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-sharp-mn0001238270/credits