Joshua Bell

Joshua Bell to Busk Again

The violinist returns to the Washington D.C. Metro to raise awareness for music ed 

In a notorious stunt back in 2007, acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell played his $3 million Stradavarius in a Washington D.C. Metro station wearing a baseball cap as a part of a sociological experiment organized by the Washington Post. On Tuesday, September 30, Bell is returning to the D.C. Metro, this time with some fanfare and plenty of advance notice for passengers.

A YouTube clip of the first D.C. Metro event:

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UpClose: Joshua Bell

The Sheer Joy of Music Making

Acclaimed as one of the great violinists of our time, Joshua Bell has performed with major symphonies in revered concert halls around the world, and his recordings have topped the classical music charts. Bell plays one of the finest musical instruments on the planet – the Gibson ex Huberman, a violin crafted in 1713 by Stradivari himself and currently valued at almost four million dollars – yet, he eschews a white tie and tails in favor of more contemporary clothing. There is a need, he says, to change certain perceptions about classical music, so as to ensure that it remains “a part of the diet of young people.”