Returning to Australia in December 2024, GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell has performed with virtually every major orchestra, and maintains engagements as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, conductor and as the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with which he performed a series of stellar Australian concerts in 2023.

Ahead of his upcoming concerts at City Recital Hall, Sydney, Melbourne Recital Centre and Adelaide’s UKARIA, Limelight editor Jo Litson grabs a few minutes of Bell’s time to talk about his love of recital playing and his recent album recorded with Ukrainian musicians.

Joshua Bell holds his violin, sitting down.

Joshua Bell. Photo © Shervin Lainez

Limelight: We’re thrilled that you are returning to Australia to perform after the wonderful tour by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields last October. Was that when your Australian recital tour was organised?  

Joshua Bell: The recital tour was actually first discussed way back in late 2019, just before the pandemic threw all our lives upside down. After that it was a question of finding a time that works in our schedules, including my tour with the Academy last year.  So finally,...