Joshua Bell is a classical superstar. With more than 30 years as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and conductor, Bell has recorded more than 40 albums winning Grammy, Mercury, and Gramophone awards! Josh is currently the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, only the 2nd person to hold this post since 1958, and he is a Senior Lecturer for violin and chamber music at Indiana University.
Music Director John Clare spoke to Bell about his most recent release on Sony Classical, Scottish Fantasy - his first recording of the fantasy and a fresh recording of Bruch's First Violin Concerto.
Learn more about Scottish Fantasy here. Bell performs at Ravinia on Thursday, July 12th, and at IU on Friday, July 13th.
Born in Bloomington, Bell received his first violin at age four. At age 12, he began studying with Josef Gingold at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Two years later, he came to national attention in his debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra and at 17, debuted at Carnegie Hall. He is an outspoken advocate for classical music and keeping music education in schools. He performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius. He has been named an "Indiana Living Legend" and received the Indiana Governor's Arts Award.
Here's Joshua conducting and playing Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 at the Verbier Festival:
This is Bell's first recording, including Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1:
