Joshua Bell

Incredibly, 40 years have passed since Joshua Bell recorded his first CD. The piece he played was Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto. “It really is a true gem in any violinist’s repertoire”, he enthuses. The now famous American violinist made his original 1986 studio recording with the prestigious Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Then only 18 years old, he never thought in his wildest dreams that one day he would be their Music Director. Meanwhile, he has played Bruch’s masterpiece countless times with his Academy orchestra. There is never a conductor. Bell sees himself as a primus inter pares, playing with equals on the basis of deep mutual trust. “It gives us the freedom to breathe new life into the concerto and creates new opportunities for me to shape how the music flows”, he explains. After the interval, the orchestra invites us to join them for a second timeless treasure of the classical repertoire as they play Brahms' unforgettable Second Symphony.