​“[John Sharp] conveyed majestic scope and gathering intensity...considerable gravitas...and a convergence of technical acuity and lyric urgency...”

—Chicago Tribune

​

“An absolutely superb cellist...”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“Soulful, technically assured...”

—The New York Times

 

“[A] stunningly gifted musician.”

—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

 

“[An] elegant, accomplished soloist...”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“A confident, robust performer, alternately graceful and intense.”

—Musical America

 

“Intense focus and technical skill...”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“[A] fiery, thoughtful soloist [...] preternaturally sensitive.”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“The attributes he brings week after week to CSO concerts—a quietly rich, singing tone, thoughtful, expressive phrasing, understated but rock-solid virtuosity—were amply displayed.”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“It could not have been easy for John Sharp, the CSO’s superb principal cellist, to take up the formidable solo part in the presence of the artist for whom it was composed. But Sharp found his own way to the troubled heart of the piece. His performance was eloquent in its technical poise and expressive understanding...”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“John Sharp’s beautifully burnished cello solo launched the Andante superbly...”

—Chicago Classical Review

 

“Principal cellist John Sharp brought out the delicacy and charm of its long-lined melodies, sailing through the racing passage work with both style and aplomb.”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 drew a tight collaboration between the orchestra and its superb principal cellist, John Sharp. The latter was fully inside this tense, brooding music...”

—Chicago Tribune

 

“Sharp delivered a breathtaking performance.”

—The Saginaw News