Violinist Joshua Bell Comes to Jones Hall Tonight

Violinist Joshua Bell returns to Houston for a recital performance tonight, Nov. 5, 2014, at 8 p.m. in Jones Hall, presented by Society for the Performing Arts. Joining Bell on stage will be pianist Alessio Bax.

The program for the evening will include Franz Schubert's Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major "Duo," D. 574, Op. 162; Edvard Grieg's Sonata for Violin and Piano in F major, Op. 8; Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor, Op. 80; and other works to be announced from the stage.

As a child, Indiana-native Joshua Bell dabbled in a number of interests ranging from computer games to tennis, but he quickly found his calling as a musical genius. The musician picked up the violin at age 4, became serious about the instrument at age 12 and received national attention only two years later with his highly acclaimed orchestral debut with Ricardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Today, Bell has played in more than 1,000 concerts, and, as an exclusive Sony Classical artist, Bell has recorded more than 40 CDs since his first LP recording at age 18 on the Decca Label. In September he released a Bach album recorded with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields; on Oct. 14, HBO will air a documentary special titled Joshua Bell: A YoungArts MasterClass.

To coincide with the album release and HBO special, Bell recently returned to Washington, D.C. at the invitation of Union Station where he performed to a crowd of 2,000 at the Main Hall. This was an opportunity for residents who missed his first Metro performance seven years ago to see him, as well as for Bell to promote the importance of music education. In 2007, Bell performed incognito at the same location for a Washington Post story by Gene Weingarten examining art and context. The story earned Weingarten a Pulitzer Prize and sparked an international firestorm of discussion. The conversation continues to this day, thanks in part to the September 2013 publication of the illustrated children's book, The Man With the Violin, by Kathy Stinson illustrated by Dušan Petri?i? from Annick Press.

Over the course of his career, Joshua Bell has acquired many awards and honors including induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2005, the Avery Fisher Prize in 2007, an Academy of Achievement Award in 2008 and the Humanitarian Award from Seton Hall University in 2010.

In addition to Bell's awards and accomplishments in the recording studio, he has premiered violin works by numerous composers including Nicholas Maw, John Corigliano, Arron Jay Kernis, Edgar Meyer, Behzad Ranjbaran and Jay Greenberg. He is also the Music Director of Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the first new conductor since Sir Neville Marriner founded the orchestra in 1958.

Bell's violin is a 1713 Gibson ex Huberman and is worth millions.

Pianist Alessio Bax is a 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and has appeared as soloist with more than 100 orchestras worldwide, including the London and Royal Philharmonic orchestras, Houston Symphony, NHK Symphony in Japan and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra with Sir Simon Rattle. Recent highlights include performances with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic under Yuri Temirkanov; Dallas Symphony under Jaap van Zweden; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under Hans Graf; concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall; Washington's Kennedy Center; and with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. This fall brings the release of an all-Beethoven disc for Signum Classics.

At age 14, Bax graduated with top honors from the conservatory of his hometown, Bari, Italy, and after further studies in Europe moved to the United States in 1994. A Steinway artist, Mr. Bax resides in New York City with his wife, pianist Lucille Chung.

Tickets range from $30-$105 and can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org, by phone at 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615 Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday - Friday. For groups of 15 or more call 713-632-8113.

Photo by Marc Hom.

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