In the summer of 2021, one of the world's most renowned chamber orchestras, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, was stuck in its hometown of London. The pandemic kept it from a series of concerts at Colorado's Bravo! Vail Festival. But the orchestra's music director, violinist Joshua Bell, had an idea.
Violinist Joshua Bell reunites with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for a series of concerts
Earlier in his career, Bell worked as an artistic partner with the SPCO for three years.
For the Minnesota Star Tribune
November 8, 2022 at 11:00AM
"I threw a Hail Mary," Bell said last week from his home in New York City.
He asked the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra if it could step in on a few weeks' notice.
"That was my first chamber orchestra family when I was younger," Bell said. "I didn't think they'd be able to make it, but it worked out. And I know that Bravo! Vail was very, very pleased to have such a highly esteemed replacement."
Bell will reunite with that "family" this week when he performs four concerts with the SPCO at St. Paul's Ordway Concert Hall. In addition to soloing on Max Bruch's First Violin Concerto, he'll take the concertmaster's chair to lead the orchestra in symphonies by Mozart and Georges Bizet.
The 54-year-old Bell first soloed with the SPCO in the late '80s. But they made a deeper commitment in 2004 when the orchestra decided to move away from the conventional music director position in favor of a team of artistic partners.
The SPCO's concertmaster, Steven Copes, was among those involved in the process.
"We had to pick not only a great artist that the musicians could get excited about," Copes said, "but also one with the name recognition and audience appeal that could convince our board, staff and audience that this new path could be successful in myriad ways. Josh was such a catch for us and still is!"
The timing was fortuitous. Between 2004-2007, Bell went from star to superstar, from a classical music phenomenon to the world's most famous violinist. During his three-year SPCO artistic partnership, he released three albums that hit the top of the classical charts. One of them, 2004's "Romance of the Violin," even found a place amid the pop, rock and hip-hop acts of the Billboard 200.
So what made the star soloist decide to take up the SPCO on its offer?
"It definitely appealed to me, the idea of getting to do a bit more than flying in, doing my concerto and leaving," he said. "I love the rehearsal process and really getting into the music as deeply as possible. I could develop more of a personal relationship with the orchestra."
Bell came to the Twin Cities three times each season. In a typical concert, he played some chamber music with members of the orchestra, soloed on a violin concerto and led the orchestra in a symphony from the concertmaster's chair.
SPCO violinist Daria Adams was at first unsure if the experiment would work.
"Josh was used to playing with a sound that could soar over a huge symphony orchestra," she said. "But he blended with us beautifully and inspired us to a freer way of playing together."
"I love playing with chamber orchestras because every person has to be on the edge of their seat, listening, leading amongst themselves," Bell said. "There aren't enough chamber orchestras in this country, but St. Paul is on the top of the heap."
As for that pinch-hitting gig at the Bravo! Vail Festival, Bell seemed thrilled to hear that it led to the SPCO being invited back there this past summer.
"That's great," he said, laughing as he added, "I take full responsibility."
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with violinist Joshua Bell
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul
Tickets: Free-$50, available at 651-291-1144 or thespco.org
Note: There also will be an open rehearsal at 10 a.m. Thursday (free-$15).
Rob Hubbard is a Twin Cities classical music writer. Reach him at wordhub@yahoo.com.
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