Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Joshua Bell, Music Director and Violin
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Generously Sponsored by Dr. Mary Ditto and Frank Becker
The Soraya Beethoven Series is sponsored by Kathleen P. Martin
The Soraya Soaring Series is sponsored by the Colburn Foundation
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492: Overture
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 6
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
A regular at The Soraya, Joshua Bell returns to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th with the composer’s iconic Symphony No. 5, as well as the great violin concerto by Italian musical genius Niccolò Paganini. Since 2011, Bell has served as Music Director of the Academy of St Martin the Fields. He leads the orchestra while playing the violin, an impressive feat that creates an unequaled musical experience for audiences. An artist of precision and passion, Bell has performed with every major orchestra on six continents, also maintaining his calendar as a recitalist and chamber musician.
Few orchestra pieces are as well-known as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, with the opening chords which some call “Fate’s knock on the door.” In 1808 when it premiered, the composer seems to have directly confronted his rapid loss of hearing, a battle he would lose physically but overcome in spirit and by the force of will.