HBO to Debut JOSHUA BELL: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS , 10/14

Every year, the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) offers emerging talents across the country the chance to be mentored by some of the world's greatest artists. In JOSHUA BELL: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS, the latest edition of the three-time Emmy®-nominated HBO Family show, the Grammy-winning violinist collaborates with nine talented young musicians, helping them discover their unique voices in a group setting and guiding them through performances in New York and London. The exclusive presentation debuts TUESDAY, OCT. 14 (7:30-8:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO.

Other HBO playdates: Oct. 17 (11:30 a.m.), 24 (1:00 p.m.) and 25 (8:30 a.m.)

HBO Family playdates: Oct. 15 (7:00 p.m.), 16 (6:30 p.m.), 20 (10:45 p.m.) and 31 (3:45 a.m.)

For more than 33 years, YoungArts has recognized and nurtured aspiring young artists and contributed to the vitality of the arts in America. In JOSHUA BELL: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS, the acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and conductor leads talented YoungArts alumni Anna, Bradley, Brannon, Kelly, Kevin, Leah, Mariella, Sirena and Zachary through challenging compositions. Bell supports his students by playing alongside them, noting that if his students learn anything, it will be through "the process of making music in a natural way."

The young musicians feed off Bell's natural energy, later observing that it was "easy to figure out what he wanted just by watching him." To put the teens at ease, Bell bonds with them outside rehearsals, including a lunch at Shake Shack in New York City, where they discuss high school proms and the hardships of being on the road and frequently away from home.

After practicing stateside for several days and performing for an intimate audience at Bell's Manhattan home, the group travels to London to observe Bell in action during a rigorous day of recording with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. The group makes time for fun at Abbey Road and the London Eye, as Bell emphasizes the importance of connecting "without the instruments in our hands." The musicians end their trip by performing with Bell at a sold-out concert at THE 100 Club, the legendary London rock music venue that has hosted such acts as Metallica, Paul McCartney and the Sex Pistols.

Making his Carnegie Hall debut at age 17, Joshua Bell has released more than 40 CDs over a career spanning nearly three decades, performing across the globe with the world's greatest conductors and orchestras. In 2001, he earned a Grammy Award for his recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto. Now in his third season as music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Bell is the first person to hold the position since Sir Neville Marrinner created the chamber orchestra in 1958; their first recording under Bell's leadership, of Beethoven's 4th and 7th symphonies, debuted at #1 on the Billboard classical chart. His latest recording, "Bach," was released Sept. 30. Bell is a member of THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS artist committee and a member of the New York Philharmonic's board of directors.

JOSHUA BELL: A YOUNGARTS MASTERCLASS is a production of Simon & Goodman Picture Company; produced and directed by Oscar® and Emmy® winners Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon.

Photo: Karen Goodman

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