Violin Superstar Joshua Bells Makes Penn State Debut March 28
March 7, 2007
American violin virtuoso Joshua Bell appears for the first time at Penn State when he performs as soloist and guest conducts London's Academy of St. Martin in the Fields at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The program includes Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and a string-orchestra arrangement of Brahms‚ String Quintet No. 2 in G, Op. 111.
Section one and two tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are $42 and $35 for an adult, $22 and $15 for a University Park student and $26 and $19 for a person 18 and younger. For tickets and information, visit www.cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at Penn State Tickets Downtown, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 9 and 10 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 12 to 16 (regular hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, resume March 17); Bryce Jordan Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; Eisenhower Auditorium, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays resuming March 19; and HUB-Robeson Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays resuming March 19. University Park Allocation Committee makes Penn State student prices possible.
In 2004, Billboard named Bell, a three-time Grammy winner, classical artist of the year and his Romance of the Violin classical album of the year. The Indiana native has been captivating classical music lovers since his professional orchestra debut at age 14 in 1981 with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Voice of the Violin, his most recent CD and a sequel to his chart-topping Romance of the Violin, came out last September to outstanding reviews. "Whereas Romance of the Violin drew on pieces originally written in a variety of media, Voice of the Violin show's Bell's ability to make his instrument sing‚ in vocal pieces. This rising megastar has certainly pulled off another flawless performance," writes an All Music Guide reviewer.
Bell performs as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra leader. He also collaborates from time to time with artists beyond the classical realm, including Béla Fleck, Wynton Marsalis, Josh Groban, Bobby McFerrin, James Taylor and Chick Corea. In addition to albums of concertos by the likes of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Sibelius, Bell has recorded crossover CDs of music by Gershwin and a West Side Story Suite. He has performed on several film soundtracks, including providing the solos on John Corigliano's Academy Award-winning score for the 1999 film The Red Violin.
The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, meanwhile, came into being in 1958 as a small, conductorless chamber ensemble based in an elegant 18th-century church on London's Trafalgar Square. Neville Marriner, one of the chief Baroque violinists of the day, led the ensemble and attracted some of the best players in London. Early on, the orchestra concentrated on repertoire from the Baroque era. It developed a style that inaugurated the 1960s Baroque revival and built the foundation for the many period-instrument ensembles of our day.
The orchestra secured its first recording contract in 1961. The ensemble now has a discography of more than 500 recordings, making it the most recorded chamber orchestra under the sun. Due to its myriad recordings and generous radio play, the orchestra‚s name and that of the church where it started have become familiar to audiences everywhere.
Gay D. Dunne, M.D., and James H. Dunne, M.D., sponsor the performance. WPSU is the media sponsor. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist or local expert, is offered in Eisenhower Auditorium one hour before each performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity. Seating is available on a first-arrival basis.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379