Joshua Bell

As one of the preeminent classical music soloists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Joshua Bell has performed with nearly every top-tier symphony orchestra in the world and put his spin on the warhorse violin pieces of the common-practice period. Born in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1967, Bell was a child prodigy, making his debut with a major symphony orchestra at the age of 14. At the turn of the '80s and in the early '90s, he made waves in the classical world with virtuosic performances of major repertoire as well as premieres of new works. Since 1988, Bell has recorded over 50 albums for various labels, most notably for Sony Classical; highlights include his award-winning 1999 recording of Nicholas Maw’s Violin Concerto and his 2014 Bach album. He contributed to major film soundtracks, with his best-known work being John Corigliano’s Oscar-winning soundtrack for 1998’s The Red Violin. Bell’s collaborators outside of classical music include Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Sting and many more. The violinist is also active as a conductor; since 2011, he has served as music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.