Joshua Bell
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Biography
First emerging as an energetic child prodigy in the late 1980s, Joshua Bell soon established himself as one of the most gifted virtuosos of his generation, earning the nickname "the poet of the violin" thanks to his elegant style and daring, free-wheeling approach to music.
Born in Bloomington, Indiana, he first showed a love of music as a toddler when he would stretch elastic bands over his dresser drawer handles and start plucking away, trying to imitate his mother's piano playing. His parents bought him his first violin at the age of four and the naturally gifted learner flourished under the mentorship of master violinist Josef Gingold as he began appearing as a soloist with the world's great orchestras by the time he was 14. Three years later he made his debut performance at Carnegie Hall and the teenage starlet became a bona fide classical superstar with stunning renditions of works by Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, releasing his first album of Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos through London Records in 1989.
Alongside mastering a classic repertoire of Debussy, Franck and Prokofiev, he also performed contemporary pieces by Aaron Kay Kernis, Edgar Meyer and Jay Greenberg and featured on the Academy Award-winning soundtrack to the movie 'The Red Violin' in 1998. He won his first Grammy Award in 2000 for his recording of Nicholas Maw's specially written concerto, and in 2001 purchased the legendary Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius violin for $4million, making his first recording with the 300-year-old instrument on 'The Romance of the Violin'. Other stand out albums include 'Lalo: Symphonie Espagnole' in 2005, 'Vivaldi: The Four Seasons' in 2008 and 'At Home With Friends' in 2009, which featured collaborations with an eclectic range of singers including Sting, Regina Spector and Kristin Chenoweth.
Continuing to lead a diverse, genre-hopping career, Bell became musical director of the Academy of St Martins-in-the-Fields chamber orchestra, appeared on 'Sesame Street' and accompanied actress Scarlett Johansson on the song 'Before My Time' for the documentary 'Chasing Ice'.
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Albums
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman, Joshua Bell
Kernis: Air for Violin; Barber: Violin Concerto; Bloch: Baal Shem; Walton: Violin Concerto
FEATURED
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, David Zinman, Joshua Bell
Barber / Walton: Violin Concertos / Bloch: Baal Shem
FEATURED
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- III. Oxford, The Gypsies - Journey Across Europe featuring Joshua Bell
- Exodus by Joshua Bell
- Bella and Zus by Joshua Bell
- I. Cremona, Main Title featuring Joshua Bell
- Your Wife by Joshua Bell
- I. Cremona, Birth of the Red Violin featuring Joshua Bell
- Survivors by Joshua Bell
- Make Them Count by Joshua Bell
- V. Montréal, End Titles featuring Joshua Bell
- IV. Shanghai, Journey to China featuring Joshua Bell
- Fire (From "Angels & Demons" Soundtrack) by Joshua Bell
- Defiance Main Titles by Joshua Bell
- The Red Violin - Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra featuring Joshua Bell
- Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467: II. Andante (Arranged for Violin & Orchestra)
- Chovendo na Roseira (Rain in the Rose Garden), for choro ensemble by Dave Grusin
- Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto In E Minor, Op. 64, MWV O14 - 1. Allegro molto appassionato featuring Academy of St Martin in the Fields
- Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 - 2. Andante assai featuring Charles Dutoit
- Kreisler: Liebesleid, Old Viennese Dance No. 2 by Paul Coker
- Anna's Theme by Joshua Bell
- Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra
- Ysaÿe: Amitié for 2 Violins and Orchestra, Op. 26 featuring Renaud Capuçon
- Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 "Turkish" - 2. Adagio featuring English Chamber Orchestra
- Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 "Turkish" - 1. Allegro aperto featuring English Chamber Orchestra
- Mozart: Adagio in E Major for Violin & Orchestra, K. 261 featuring English Chamber Orchestra
