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Joshua Bell is a Grammy-winning violinist and conductor, serving as Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and inaugural principal guest conductor for the New Jersey Symphony. With a career spanning almost four decades, he has performed with major orchestras worldwide and is recognized for his contributions to classical music.
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Request A ShowJoshua Bell was named a 'Langham Luminary' for the flagship brand's 'Your Story. Our Legacy.' campaign, recognizing his esteemed career and collaborations that extend beyond classical music to film scores and diverse artists.
Bell entered a purchase agreement with ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund, which involved the acquisition of rights to his entire music catalog, as well as select songs or compositions.
Through an ongoing partnership, Bell collaborated with Embertone, a virtual instrument sampling company, to launch the 'Joshua Bell Virtual Violin,' a sampler designed to digitally reproduce his distinctive sound.
Bell partnered with Trala, an online music school, to make violin education more accessible through affordable virtual lessons. Trala pairs students with online teachers and emphasizes adult beginners.
Joshua Bell was born on December 9, 1967, in Bloomington, Indiana. His parents were Shirley Bell, a therapist, and Alan P. Bell, a psychologist and professor at Indiana University. Bell began playing the violin at age four, receiving formal lessons after his mother noticed his musical inclination. He displayed a natural talent for the instrument while also participating in childhood activities and excelling in sports, including tennis, where he placed in a national tournament at age ten. By age 12, under the tutelage of violinist and pedagogue Josef Gingold, Bell’s commitment to the violin deepened significantly.
Bell’s professional career began to take shape at age 14 when he appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Riccardo Muti. He then pursued violin studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, graduating from Bloomington High School North in 1984 and earning an Artist Diploma in violin performance in 1989. In 1985, at the age of 17, Bell made his Carnegie Hall debut with the St. Louis Symphony. He has since performed with numerous major orchestras and conductors globally, expanding beyond the traditional concerto repertoire to include new works. Nicholas Maw’s violin concerto, which premiered in 1993, was dedicated to Bell, and his recording of it earned him a Grammy Award.
His involvement in film scores highlights his versatility, including the Oscar-winning soundtrack for “The Red Violin” and a feature in “Ladies in Lavender.” Bell gained widespread attention for his participation in a 2007 Washington Post experiment, where he performed incognito as a busker in a subway station. In 2011, he was appointed Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and in October 2024, he was named the New Jersey Symphony’s principal guest conductor, effective with the 2025–2026 season. Bell performs on the 1713 Gibson ex Huberman Stradivarius violin, an instrument with a notable history that he acquired in 2001.
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