The violinist Sheryl Staples, born in Los Angeles, has been the principal associate concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic since 1998. She has performed as a soloist with over 45 orchestras across the United States, including the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Richmond Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic. Staples has also given chamber music performances in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Central and South America, and has participated in festivals such as La Jolla Music Society’s Summerfest, Boston Chamber Music Society, Salt Bay Chamberfest, and others.
Staples won the gold prize at the Stulberg International Competition in 1987. She was previously the associate concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra and taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, USC Thornton School of Music, and Colburn School of Performing Arts. Currently, she is on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music and has been teaching at Juilliard since 2004, including in the Pre-College Division since 2015. Staples holds an Artist Diploma from USC Thornton School of Music, where she studied under Robert Lipsett and was mentored by Heiichiro Ohyama.
Staples performs on the “Kartman” Guarneri del Gesù violin, 1728, which is now part of the New York Philharmonic’s collection.
