Violinist Bell joins PB Symphony for Mendelssohn

One of the finest and best-known of all American violinists, Joshua Bell, returns to South Florida on April 16, to perform with the Palm Beach Symphony at the Kravis Center.

Bell will join conductor Gerard Schwarz and the orchestra for one of the most beloved pieces in the repertoire, the Violin Concerto in E minor (Op. 64) by Felix Mendelssohn. Bell will perform a cadenza of his own composition for the concerto.

The program opens with another work by Mendelssohn, his “Hebrides” Overture, also known as “Fingal’s Cave.” Mendelssohn was inspired to write the piece while on a visit to Scotland in 1829. The concert concludes with Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony (No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 55). Originally dedicated to Napoleon, the “Eroica” broke new ground in music, setting the stage for a what the symphonic form could be.

Bell, 55, is a frequent visitor to South Florida during the season, appearing with orchestras, in solo recitals and at the head of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the legendary British chamber orchestra. He has recorded more than 40 albums and won numerous awards, including four Grammys.

His summer schedule includes stops at the Colorado Music Festival in June, and the Verbier and Tanglewood festivals in July. In March 2024, he will be back at the Kravis Center with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

The April 16 concert is set for 8 p.m. in the Kravis Center’s Dreyfoos Hall. Tickets, which were nearly sold out as of Friday, are $25 to $95, and can be had from the orchestra by visiting palmbeachsymphony.org, calling 561-281-0145 or stopping by the box office at 400 Hibiscus St., West Palm Beach, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Tickets also are available through the Kravis Center at www.kravis.org or 561-832-7469.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Violinist Bell to solo with Palm Beach Symphony in Mendelssohn