Joshua Bell's First Visit to Korea in 5 Years: "I Want to Come Every Year"

American Violinist "Young Audiences Are Passionate"
Performed Chausson's "Po?me" and Bizet's Concerto with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

Classic FM, a UK radio station specializing in classical music, selected 'The 25 greatest violinists of all time' last August.

Alongside legendary violinists such as Antonio Vivaldi (1678?1741), Niccol? Paganini (1782?1840), and Fritz Kreisler (1875?1962), living artists like Itzhak Perlman (78), Gidon Kremer (76), and Anne-Sophie Mutter (60) were included. American violinist Joshua Bell (56), who will perform with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on the 18th and 19th, was also named among them. Bell will perform Ernest Chausson’s (1855?1899) Po?me for violin and orchestra and Henri Vieuxtemps’ (1820?1881) Violin Concerto No. 5?both pieces rarely heard in concert.

However, in a written interview with Asia Economy, Bell emphasized that "both pieces have long been loved by violinists and audiences alike." He explained that although the name Vieuxtemps might be unfamiliar, he was a superstar violinist who dominated the 19th century after Paganini. Bell also shared a personal connection: his teacher was Josef Gingold (1909?1995), whose teacher was Eug?ne Ysa?e (1858?1931), and Ysa?e’s teacher was none other than Vieuxtemps. He added that Chausson’s Po?me was composed for Ysa?e.

Joshua Bell [Photo provided by Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, ?Shervin Lainez]

Bell described Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concerto No. 5 as "very romantic and beautiful, like a small opera," adding that it is "dramatic, contains beautiful melodies and intensity, finishes very passionately, and evokes many emotions."

Regarding Chausson’s Po?me, he said it is one of the most beautiful works for violin and orchestra and a piece he has loved since childhood.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 and other factors, this is Bell’s first visit to Korea in five years. He said he likes Korea so much that he wants to come every year or every two years. "There are many young audiences passionate about music, so performing in Korea is a very special experience."

Bell also mentioned that his wife is an enthusiastic fan of Korean culture and enjoys Korean TV shows and dramas. Bell’s wife is soprano Larisa Martinez. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple frequently posted videos of their duets on social media.

"Since we couldn’t perform in front of others, we played together. We found and arranged wonderful pieces composed for violin and voice. We arranged Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story and other famous pieces for violin and voice. Now we have built a repertoire enough to perform one or two concerts together or separately."

He said performing with his wife has been a great learning experience for him. "The sound of the violin resembles the human voice. By learning how the voice is used and how its nuances are handled, I can apply that to the violin."

Bell expressed his desire to visit Korea with his wife someday.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.