Estrellita

Just over one year ago, Joshua agreed to be part of a cultural experiment that examined art and context that was conducted by the Washington Post. Joshua, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, performed in D.C.'s L'Enfant Plaza station during the busy morning commute. The experiment turned into a Washington Post cover story titled "Pearls Before Breakfast" which created an international firestorm of discussion about how we appreciate art, and specifically, music. On April 7, 2008 it was announced that this provocative think-piece by Gene Weingarten was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing! To read the story, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

As for this year, Joshua kicked off the new year playing at Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel, in a performance that was broadcast live on PBS stations across the country. Many people have inquired if the program will be available on DVD and we have our fingers crossed.

Joshua then continued performances with orchestras including the Corpus Christi, Pittsburgh, Tucson, Kansas City, Toledo and Albany Symphonies, with programs including John Corigliano's "Chaconne from The Red Violin." This work can be heard on Joshua's latest recording, The Red Violin Concerto as well as in the award-winning movie, The Red Violin, which was first released in theaters ten years ago.

Speaking of this film, Lionsgate Films is launching a new series called The Meridian Collection - a compilation of acclaimed, groundbreaking and influential films from around the world. The series debuts this June with two celebrated films – Diva and The Red Violin. Through The Meridian Collection, Lionsgate will present significant works of world cinema in elite quality editions of the highest technical standards that celebrate their creative impact.

Winner of the Academy® Award for Best Original Score performed by Joshua Bell, The Red Violin stars Samuel L. Jackson as an appraiser tracing the vast, storied history of a priceless violin across numerous countries and generations. The DVD features a digitally re-mastered transfer with new 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound and includes two new featurettes and filmmaker commentary which includes Joshua "behind the scenes." Not only did Joshua perform work on the film for more than three years as an artistic advisor and was responsible for all the violin sound for the film, but he also served as body double for actor Jason Flemyng. So the next time you view the film and see the actor's hands playing the violin while he's also seducing actress Greta Scacchi — note that behind Jason was Joshua who was doing all the work! And if you look very closely at the film, there's one scene where Joshua is on camera as an "extra."

Recently Joshua was pleased to learn that 17-year old Japanese figure skater Mao Asada, skates her short program to his recording of Fantasy for C Violin and Orchestra which he recorded for the soundtrack to Ladies in Lavender. She recently won the Japanese World Championship and you can see her artistry at this link:

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=3QuHly3Kdpc


The early months of this year had Joshua joined by Jeremy Denk for an 18-city recital tour that took them coast to coast, highlighted by stops in Joshua's home town of Bloomington, Indiana, as well as Berkeley California's Cal Performances, Costa Mesa's new Orange County Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, DC's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Chicago's Symphony Center. Said The Chicago Sun Times of their recital:

"Of all Bell's dizzying virtuosic displays Sunday, it was his near- weightless glissandi in the outer movements that held the full house in rapt attention. Denk's whispering legato made these memorable passages possible, where the line between accompaniment and suffocation is dangerously thin. Prokofiev wished these passages to sound like ‘wind in a graveyard,' and Bell and Denk delivered."

Joshua played his first performance at the second annual Festival of the Arts Boca this March, which is a cultural arts festival for South Florida spanning seventeen full days and featuring the finest in music, art, literature, film, food and wine. The Festival of the Arts Boca is produced in partnership with IMG Artists which also produces two rather new world-renowned festivals: the Tuscan Sun Festival, a late-summer festival in Cortona, Italy, and Festival del Sole Napa, a mid-July festival in Napa Valley, California.

The Festival features an impressive roster of the top international names in classical, opera, jazz and Latin music, as well as literary discussions and readings by leading authors. Pre- and post-concert events offer enthusiasts the opportunity to meet and socialize with artists in attendance. These festivals are truly spectacular and if you'd like to plan a fantastic holiday, learn more about the Boca Festival by visiting www.festivaloftheartsboca.com. For more information about the other festivals, visit www.IMGartists.com

Recently Joshua performed with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra where he met Jeffrey Huberman, the great great nephew of Bronislaw Huberman, who owned Joshua's violin until it was stolen from his Carnegie Hall dressing room in the 1930's. Jeffrey shared with Joshua a photo taken of Einstein with Huberman holding his violin. Not only do Jeffrey and Joshua have ties to the violin, but it turns out Jeffrey is also a graduate of Indiana University.

Montblanc's new fragrance will be in stores by the end of March and Joshua is featured in the advertising print campaign running in Latin America. Here's a preview of the ad:



One organization that Joshua is very proud to support is Education Through Music, which promotes the integration of music into the curriculum of disadvantaged schools in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development. On May 9th they are holding their 7th annual Children's Benefit. This fund-raiser will enable the program to put more instruments into the hands of students. For the auction portion of the evening, Joshua has donated one of his violin cases which he signed, which will be filled with CDs courtesy of Sony Classical. For more information about this event, and the life-changing work that Education Through Music does, visit www.etmonline.org or email Emily Estock at eestock@ETMonline.org.

Watch for Joshua in the May issue of Esquire Magazine.

And you can learn what words have encouraged Joshua over the years in the June/July issue of Best Life.

Thanks for your continued interest and support of Joshua Bell. Look for another newsletter this Summer.

=========================================================
Upcoming Tours
Dates Region
28th Apr 08 - 7th May 08 Europe
1st Jun 08 - 7th Jun 08 Asia / Pacific
1st Oct 08 - 12th Oct 08 Europe