Sheryl Staples joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Associate Concertmaster in 1998, and made her solo debut with the Orchestra in 1999. She has appeared as soloist with more than 40 orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic; participated in the Santa Fe, and Seattle chamber music festivals; and been a faculty artist at the Aspen, Bowdoin, and Sarasota music festivals. She is a former member of the Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio, and currently performs with the New York Philharmonic Ensembles and the Lyric Chamber Music Society. She earned an artist diploma from the University of Southern California.