Q & A: Joshua Bell

Renowned violinist and IU alumnus Joshua Bell sat down with the Indiana Daily Student to discuss his plans for tonight’s performance, the future and what IU and Bloomington mean to him.

IDS: Because IU is your alma mater, what does it mean to you to be part of the faculty?

Bell: IU is even more than an alma mater – I grew up here. I’ve gone to concerts at the school when I was young and started studying with my teacher Joseph Gingold when I was 12. I really grew up on the campus. Even though I’ve been living in New York for many years now, I’ve always felt a strong connection to the University. My mother still lives here. It’s home. When they asked me to do something with the University, I thought it was a nice way to still feel connected with the school. I wouldn’t dream of teaching anywhere else. Being on the faculty means a lot to me.

IDS: What does being a senior lecturer entail?

Bell: They are being very flexible with me because I have such a busy schedule. I’m playing 120 concerts a year, and I’m on the road 240 days already. We’re starting off with just a couple weeks a year where I’ll do a performance and then listen to and coach students. I won’t have a full-time class, but other teachers will send their students to play for me. Like with Gingold, he used to send me to play for other teachers on occasion. It’s important to have lots of influences, and hopefully I can give them some inspiration about the pieces they are playing.

IDS: What was it like growing up in Bloomington?

Bell: Bloomington is an ideal place to grow up because you have the best of both worlds. I grew up on a farm around horses and all kinds of animals and at the same time was five minutes from campus where they have so many incredible concerts every night. I’m so glad I made the choice to stay here versus going somewhere like New York for my education. To be able to have the peace and relaxed atmosphere of a small town with all the culture a big city can offer is a great combination.

IDS: Because you travel so frequently, how often do you get to come back here?

Bell: Now I have a nice excuse to come back to town for my lectures, so that’s two weeks extra. Then I also come by a few more times each year to see my family and for the holidays. If I have recitals nearby while I’m on a tour across the country, I try to stop, too. I probably make it back four or five times a year.

IDS: When you do get to town, what are the first things you want to do?

Bell: I have to go to Bear’s Place. It was always the hangout for us music students since it’s so close to the school. And Mother Bear’s Pizza, too. Those are the standouts.

IDS: What are you most looking forward to about the season-opening concert?

Bell: I’m excited about bringing a piece that I helped to develop and premiered, instead of coming and playing one of the standards, which I’ve done before. It’s nice to play the concerto that was written for me. In a way, I feel like it’s my piece.

IDS: What is it like to work with Leonard Slatkin?

Bell: He and I have a history together that is very special for me because he was one of the first conductors to take a chance on me. He helped launch my career when I was 17 and took me on the Saint Louis Symphony’s first European tour as one of their soloists. I did my Carnegie Hall debut with him. I owe a lot to him, and we’ve played together countless times over the years. It’s nice to be reunited here.

IDS: After this concert, what’s next on your schedule?

Bell: I go back to New York for a couple of days, and then I play with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Then I’m leaving for a European tour in October to play a lot of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” because my new album of the “Four Seasons” just came out. I’ve also just done another soundtrack for the film “Defiance,” a WWII film about a Jewish ghetto uprising starring Daniel Craig, that will come out in December.