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Joshua Bell and Larisa Martinez present an evening of romance with Tuesday Musical (Feb. 8)

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by Stephanie Manning

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Tuesday Musical delivered a sweet, romantic evening on Tuesday, February 8. Violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martinez, who were wed shortly before the pandemic, made one of the first stops in their inaugural concert tour as a married couple at Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall. Joined by pianist Peter Dugan, the pair presented “Voice and the Violin,” a variety of short selections that highlighted both their personal and musical partnership.

Given the theme of the evening, it seemed fitting to open the concert in the Romantic era with Mendelssohn’s “Ah, ritorna, età dell’oro” (Cavatina) from Infelice. Bell’s and Martinez’s musical sensibilities were evenly matched, the soprano’s delicate voice fitting well with the violinist’s effortless playing.

[Read more…]

Tuesday Musical presents violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martinez

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by Mike Telin

If you’re bummed that Punxsutawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter, you can shed those cold weather blues on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:30 pm in E.J. Thomas Hall, when Tuesday Musical presents celebrated violinist Joshua Bell and acclaimed soprano Larisa Martinez.

The evening is also one of the first stops on their debut tour as a married couple. And remember that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Click here for tickets.

The concept for their program — “Voice and the Violin” — began to take shape during the pandemic. “It actually worked in our favor,” Larisa Martinez said during a telephone interview. “We didn’t have a honeymoon because I had my Carnegie Hall debut four days after the wedding. Then we were both so hectic and in different countries, so the pandemic was almost a silver lining — which is how this program was born.”

In a separate interview, Joshua Bell said that creating a program for the two of them was inevitable. “We both respect each other’s musicianship. We’re married to each other so we were together in the house and somehow the lockdown helped give it a kick-start. It was a chance to work on some new arrangements and to look for little gems for voice and violin. And now it’s finally coming to fruition.” [Read more…]

Tuesday Musical to present London’s Academy of St. Martin in the Fields  

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by Mike Telin

Although it is common to hear performances of Baroque and some classical period orchestral repertoire performed without a conductor, you don’t often think of a Paganini violin concerto or a Brahms symphony being performed without one. Think again.

On Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30 pm at E.J. Thomas Hall, violinist Joshua Bell will lead the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields in performances of Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. Presented by Akron’s Tuesday Musical, the evening will be preceded by a conversation with Academy musicians at 6:30 pm. Tickets are available online.

The concert is part of the Ensemble’s 20-day, 16-concert North American tour. “We’re very excited to be coming back to Akron,” Academy violinist Harvey de Souza said by phone from Bethesda, Maryland. “This is probably the biggest group that we have toured. I think there are 54 of us, which for us is very large.”

De Souza, who joined the Academy in 1993, said the Brahms symphony is a lovely piece and a joy to play. It’s also the largest work they have ever taken on tour. [Read more…]

Tuesday Musical: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell at E.J. Thomas (March 11)

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by Jane Berkner

ASMF-BellOn Friday, March 11, when the Tuesday Musical Association brought the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields to E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron, it was wonderfully apparent why the group is one of the most well known and recorded orchestras in the world. Led by Director and violinist Joshua Bell, their well-planned program took the audience on a musical exploration of the landscape between the Classical and Romantic periods. [Read more…]

Tuesday Musical joins with Akron Symphony to present violinist Joshua Bell (November 7)

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by Robert Rollin

BELL-JoshuaLast Friday night E. J. Thomas Hall overflowed to the rafters for an appearance by the stellar violinist Joshua Bell with the Akron Symphony. Conducted by music director Christopher Wilkins, the Symphony collaborated with the Tuesday Musical Association to sponsor the event. Bell’s exemplary performance of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in g, op. 26, was the highlight of the evening. [Read more…]

Joshua Bell to be featured in historic collaboration between the Akron Symphony and Tuesday Musical

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by Daniel Hathaway

BELL-JoshuaThe last time violin superstar Joshua Bell appeared on Akron’s Tuesday Musical Series, he caused a major traffic jam outside E.J. Thomas Hall and the audience was so large that the Association ran out of programs. On that occasion in February, 2010, Bell played a recital with pianist Jeremy Denk. He’ll share that same stage with a few more musicians on Friday, November 7, when he plays Max Bruch’s g-minor concerto with Christopher Wilkins and the Akron Symphony Orchestra, a first-ever collaboration between the ASO and the TMA. Better carpool or come early to get a parking space.

One of the most unpretentious and accessible artists on the professional concert circuit, Joshua Bell has been interviewed on many occasions. One of the most recent and engaging looks inside Bell’s life and career was provided by Cleveland pianist Zsolt Bognár in a 44-minute video interview with the violinist in his New York apartment. The sixteenth episode in Bognár’s series, “Living the Classical Life,” you can view that conversation here. [Read more…]

Review: Cleveland Orchestra with Joshua Bell (January 17)

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by Daniel Hathaway

WhenBELL-Joshua violinist Joshua Bell last played in Northeast Ohio two years ago with pianist Jeremy Denk, he packed Finney Chapel in Oberlin and E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron (causing a major traffic jam outside the 2,900-seat Akron venue, whose ushers ran out of programs early on). His return to Severance Hall after an absence of a decade to play the Beethoven concerto last night with Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra also produced long lines of cars looking for parking and the excitement of a full house — something that doesn’t happen too often for a Thursday evening concert.

The crowd had to wait for the second half to enjoy Bell’s luminous performance of the 40-minute concerto, but what went before was anything but mere program filler. Jörg Widmann’s Lied [Song] and Béla Bartók’s Dance Suite offered exciting contributions all their own. [Read more…]

On the road for five weeks: conversations with Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk

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by Mike Telin

On Tuesday evening February 2, the Tuesday Musical Association of Akron will present violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk at the University of Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall. This performance marks the beginning of a five-week, 20-concert tour of the US. A second performance at Oberlin on Wednesday, February 3 is sold out.

We were curious to know how two musicians handle the rigors of being on the road for extended periods of time, as well as the musical decisions that go into programming and performing an intense series of recitals, which is different from being the guest soloist with an orchestra. We reached each artist separately by phone.

Joshua Bell
Mike Telin: We are looking forward to your two performances in Northeast Ohio next week
Joshua Bell: Yes, I’m really looking forward to starting my tour there. That will be the beginning of a five-week recital tour around the country so. We’ll be starting out in Akron and then in Oberlin the next night.

MT: Yes, I was looking at your schedule, and although this tour in the States is only five weeks, you seem to be very busy until the end of May.
JB: That’s right, but for me, basically it doesn’t stop because the beginning of June I go to Asia, and then the summer tour starts. So basically it never stops. [Read more…]

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