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Joshua Bell went viral in 2007 after a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial had him playing violin at a D.C. Metro station for indifferent commuters. Here, he talks about that experience, his new classical album and shares with us an exclusive playlist. -
U2, Michael Buble, Jessie J and Other Celebrity Musicians Playing on Subways
U2 cancelled its previously planned residency on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon after frontman Bono suffered a debilitating bicycle accident last year, however the band came back in a big way for several sketches on an episode last week. One featured the band, in disguise, playing its classic "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in a subway station at Grand Central Station, one of the busiest transport hubs in New York City. Passerby didn't pay much heed until the band shed its costumes (which weren't very good to begin with) and played "Desire." U2 took part in a long musical tradition known as busking, or playing in a public space, generally for cash tips from those standing by (U2 didn't ask for money of course). They weren't the first major musical act to play in the subway...here are five other acts, from Avril Lavigne to Michael Buble who took to the underground. -
On the Notion of Performing in Concert Halls and Car Parks, Bob Riley and the Manchester Camerata Say 'So Be It'
As Joshua Bell has proven to us already, a venue is merely a concept. In the case of the Manchester Camerata, Bob Riley writes that the orchestra is "constantly challenging" how they engage with audiences. Thus, he concludes, "if that means we perform in a grand concert hall one day, and a car park the next, so be it." -
Joshua Bell on HBO YoungArts Masterclass & Mendelssohn Octet; Washington Metro Reprise & Bach Concertos
With his Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority mulligan miles behind him, Joshua Bell is Skyping with me from his suite at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai. As per usual when talking to the press, the world's greatest living violinist is in between rehearsals. Yes, Bell has traveled to the United Arab Emirates to perform Felix Mendelssohn's 'Violin Concerto' in E minor, Op. 64 at the Royal Opera House Muscat with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields--the storied British band, founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958, that Bell remains the only American to have led as both music director and conductor. -
PHOTOS: 'Joshua Bell: A YoungArts Masterclass' HBO Special Showcases Bach and Mendelssohn
While watching HBO's Joshua Bell: A YoungArts Masterclass, it is easy to see that it's all about the kids. The world-renowned violinist checks his ego at the door, focusing his efforts on Mendelssohn, Bach and his youthful ritornello, who clearly idolize their enthusiastic coach. -
TRAILER: Violinist Joshua Bell's 'A YoungArts Masterclass' HBO Special Premieres Tuesday, October 14
World-renowned violinist Joshua Bell recently took to the D.C. catacombs to perform for a busy crowd who stopped to hear Bach. Now, on Tuesday, October 14, Bell will be paid tribute by HBO with a new documentary, Joshua Bell: A YoungArts Masterclass. -
Director/Writer David Donnelly to Release 'Maestro' Classical Music Documentary Featuring Paavo Järvi, Lang Lang, Joshua Bell and Hilary Hahn
Director/writer David Donnelly is set to release "Maestro," a documentary on the world of classical music conductors during a time of decline. -
Seven Years Later, Joshua Bell Performs Again for D.C. Audiences at Most Recent Union Station Performance
Just seven years after his D.C. metro debut, Joshua Bell took to the Union Station stop for a similar social experiment--however, this time he would be far from ignored. -
HIGHLIGHTS: Chicago Symphony's Ravinia Festival 2014 Announces Classical Programming for “Summer of Love/Season of Stars”
The Ravinia Festival recently announced its 2014 season, “Summer of Love/Season of Stars,” featuring music that expresses the theme of love in all its various manifestations. -
REVIEW: 'Mozart in the Jungle,' Amazon Prime's Symphonic Sex Farce, Plays Sour for Malcom McDowell, Bernadette Peters, Gael García Bernal
The long-awaited pilot episode of 'Mozart in the Jungle' is finally available on Amazon Prime's Instant Video. It's based on Blair Tindall's novel of the same name, a story of "la vie bohème" in New York City, where young musicians scramble for better-paying gigs while diverting themselves with sex and drugs until the day when the Philharmonic comes calling. -
Minnesota Orchestra Survives Historic 15-Month Lockout, Announces Shortened 2014 Concert Season (Feat. Osmo Vänskä)
A new era in the history of the Minnesota Orchestra will begin next month, when the re-united orchestra will present its first performances in Orchestra Hall after a long and often bitter contract dispute that dragged on for 15 months. -
Gergiev, Nelsons, Gilbert or Alsop...Who is the World’s Busiest Conductor?
Some interesting statistics, yes, from the U.K.-based music website Bachtrack. Every year, they compile the stats from the events they have listed, and the list for 2013 has Valery Gergiev as the world's busiest conductor. Andris Nelsons comes second.
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