Joshua Bell plays Lalo

Join world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell for an unforgettable evening of passion, virtuosity, and orchestral brilliance as he performs Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra. Known for his dazzling technique and expressive artistry, Bell brings energy, elegance, and warmth to this vibrant work, illuminating its sweeping melodies and fiery spirit. This special concert promises a thrilling musical experience and a memorable showcase of Bell’s extraordinary talent alongside the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra.

Joshua Bell, Violin

With a career spanning almost four decades, Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated artists of our time. He has performed with virtually every major orchestra in the world, and regularly appears as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, conductor, and as the Music Director of London’s Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF).

In the 2025-26 season, Bell continues to champion the rediscovered Violin Concerto by Thomas de Hartmann, following his recent Diapason D’Or-winning world premiere recording of the work. After giving its UK premiere at London’s BBC Proms, he gives the concerto’s North American premiere with the New York Philharmonic, performs it with the Boston Symphony and Oslo Philharmonic, and gives its Canadian premiere during his season-long tenure as a Toronto Symphony Spotlight Artist. With ASMF, he leads extensive tours on both sides of the Atlantic, including returns to the Vienna Konzerthaus and New York’s Carnegie Hall. Other orchestral highlights include his first appearances as Principal Guest Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony; concerto dates with the Houston Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra; and concerts and an Asian tour with Hamburg’s NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. As well as giving recitals in the U.S. and Europe, Bell joins Steven Isserlis and Evgeny Kissin for trio programs in New York, Kansas City, Paris, Vienna, and Prague, and reunites with Jeremy Denk for duo recitals at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Ravinia Festival.

In 2011, Bell was named Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, succeeding Sir Neville Marriner, who founded the orchestra in 1959. Bell’s history with the Academy dates back to 1986, when he first recorded the Bruch and Mendelssohn concertos with Marriner and the orchestra. Bell has since led the orchestra on several albums, including the 2019 Grammy- nominated Bruch: Scottish Fantasy. In April 2024, the Academy announced the extension of his contract through the 2027-28 season. Bell is also the Founder and Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of America (COA), which aims to empower the next generation of artists through performance opportunities, mentorship, and educational outreach initiatives. In April 2025, COA made its debut at TED2025, where Bell gave a TED Talk about the power of live orchestras in today’s tech-filled world.

Bell has commissioned and premiered new works by John Corigliano, Edgar Meyer, Behzad Ranjbaran, and Nicholas Maw, winning a Grammy Award for his recording of Maw’s Violin Concerto. In 2023–24, he introduced his newly commissioned concerto project, The Elements, a five-movement suite by renowned living composers Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, Edgar Meyer, Jessie Montgomery, and Kevin Puts. Bell gave the work’s premiere performances with Hamburg’s NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and Seattle Symphony.

Bell’s many collaborators include Emanuel Ax, Chris Botti, Chick Corea, Renée Fleming, Josh Groban, Lang Lang, Dave Matthews, Anoushka Shankar, Regina Spektor, Sting, and Daniil Trifonov.