BELL, JOSHUA

BELL, JOSHUA (1967– ), U.S. violinist. Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Bell studied with Mimi Zweig, and with Josef Gingold (1980–89). Winning the grand prize of the Seventeen Magazine / General Motors competition (1981) led to a highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1985 he made his Carnegie Hall debut. In 1987 he received an Avery Fisher Career Grant and made his first recordings, creating a sensation throughout the music world. His playing combined a virtuoso technique with sweetness of tone and phrasing. He performed with leading conductors and orchestras, made recordings of the concerto repertory and also composed his own cadenzas for the major violin concertos. In 1993 Bell gave the premiere of Maw's Concerto, of which he is the dedicatee. A chamber music enthusiast, Bell initiated a chamber music series in London and Paris. A multifaceted musician, he also teamed up with artists such as Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin. He continued to explore all sides of the musical spectrum in concerts and recordings (such as Gershwin Fantasy and West Side Story Suite, a deconstruction of bernstein 's original score). He is known widely for his brilliant performance on the soundtrack to the film The Red Violin. The Indiana Historical Society named Bell an Indiana Living Legend (2000). He also received the Indiana Arts Council Governor's Award (2003), and recordings awards. Bell holds an Artist Diploma from Indiana University. In 1998, he began teaching master classes at London's Royal Academy of Music. He plays an Antonius Stradivarius. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Grove online; MGG2. Baker's Biographical Dictionary (1997); D. Templeton. "Fresh Prince: Joshua Bell on Composition, Hyperviolins, and the Future of Music," in: Strings 17 (Oct. 2002), 46–53; (Naama Ramot (2nd ed.)