Joshua Bell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joshua Bell
Bell in 2010
Background information
Born	(1967-12-09) December 9, 1967 (age 57) Bloomington, Indiana, US
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Violinist, conductor
Years active	1980s–present

Meet Joshua David Bell, an amazing American violinist and conductor! Born on December 9, 1967, he is known worldwide for his incredible music. Today, he leads the famous Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra as its music director.

Joshua Bell's Early Life and Learning

Joshua Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana. His mom was a therapist, and his dad was a professor at Indiana University.

Joshua started playing the violin when he was just four years old. His mom noticed he would stretch rubber bands across his dresser drawers. He would pluck them to play songs he heard her play on the piano! His parents then got him a small violin.

Joshua loved the violin, but he also had a normal childhood. He enjoyed video games and was great at sports. He even placed in a national tennis tournament when he was ten!

He had several violin teachers. One of his most important teachers was Josef Gingold. Joshua's parents told Mr. Gingold they just wanted their son to have the best teacher. By age 12, Joshua was very serious about playing the violin, thanks to Mr. Gingold's inspiration.

When he was 14, Joshua played as a solo musician with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He later studied violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He also graduated from high school in 1984. Indiana University has honored him with special awards. He has even been called an "Indiana Living Legend"!

Joshua Bell's Amazing Career

Joshua Bell made his first big performance at Carnegie Hall in 1985. He was only 17 years old! He played with the St. Louis Symphony. Since then, he has performed with many of the world's best orchestras. He has also worked with famous conductors.

Joshua plays many well-known violin concertos. He also performs new music. A special violin concerto by Nicholas Maw was written just for him! Joshua played it for the first time in 1993. He even won a Grammy Award for recording it.

You might have heard his music in movies too! He played the solo violin part for the Oscar-winning movie The Red Violin. He also appeared in the films Ladies in Lavender and Music of the Heart.

His Special Violin

Joshua Bell plays a very special violin called the Gibson ex Huberman. It is a Stradivarius violin made in 1713. This time period is known as Stradivari's "Golden Era" because he made some of his best violins then.

This violin has an interesting history! It was stolen twice from its previous owner, Bronisław Huberman. The last time it was stolen, the thief confessed on his deathbed.

In 2001, Joshua learned the violin was for sale in London. He had played it before and loved it. The owner had joked that it could be his for $4 million! Joshua decided to buy it. He sold his old violin, the Tom Taylor Stradivarius, for over $2 million. Then he bought the Gibson ex Huberman for a little less than $4 million. A documentary called The Return of the Violin tells the story of this amazing instrument.

Working with Orchestras and More

From 2004 to 2007, Joshua worked as an artistic partner for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He has also been a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He helps choose artists for the Kennedy Center Honors and teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In 2007, Joshua won the Avery Fisher Prize. This award is given to classical musicians for their outstanding achievements. That same year, he joined the faculty at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. In 2008, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

Joshua also worked with composer Hans Zimmer. He provided violin solos for the soundtrack of the 2009 film Angels & Demons.

In 2011, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) named Joshua Bell its music director. He has made many recordings with them. In 2017, he and the orchestra won a Helpmann Award for their classical music performance. His contract with the ASMF has been extended through August 2028.

In 2013, Joshua played the violin for the song "Before My Time." This song was sung by Scarlett Johansson for the documentary Chasing Ice. It was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song!

Joshua has also appeared as himself in TV shows. He was in three episodes of Mozart in the Jungle and had a small role in Royal Pains. He also appeared in the Netflix series Julie's Greenroom.

In 2024, the New Jersey Symphony announced that Joshua Bell will be their new principal guest conductor. He will start this role in the 2025–2026 season.

The Washington Post Experiment

In 2007, Joshua Bell took part in a special experiment. A newspaper called The Washington Post asked him to play his violin in a subway station. He wore a baseball cap so people wouldn't recognize him. He played as a busker at the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station in Washington, D.C.

Hidden cameras recorded the experiment. Over 1,000 people walked by, but only seven stopped to listen! Only one person recognized him. In nearly 45 minutes, Joshua collected $32.17 from 27 people. Just three days before, he had earned much more playing the same music at a concert!

The writer of the article about this experiment, Gene Weingarten, won a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for his story. The Washington Post shared the video online. A documentary called Find Your Way: A Busker's Documentary also told the story of Joshua's experience.

Joshua Bell's Family Life

Joshua Bell has three sons: Josef, Benjamin, and Samuel. On October 5, 2019, Joshua married opera singer Larisa Martinez. They live in Mount Kisco, New York, and also in Manhattan.

Selected Music Albums

Joshua Bell has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his selected recordings:

Movie Soundtracks

Joshua Bell has also played solo violin for several movie soundtracks:

• Chasing Ice Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)
• The Flowers of War Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)
• Angels & Demons Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2009)
• Defiance Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008)
• Ladies in Lavender Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2005)
• Iris Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2001)
• The Red Violin (1998)

Images for kids

• 

  Bell in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Joshua Bell para niños