Joshua Bell will join Cleveland Orchestra shows

The Cleveland Orchestra is returning to Bloomington from Jan. 22 to 24 with a familiar face from town.

Joshua Bell, a Bloomington native who received his artist’s degree in violin performance from IU in 1989, will play with the Cleveland Orchestra during its second Jacobs School of Music residency as a guest soloist.

“The auditorium is proud to, once again, help bring together two venerable institutions of classical music, with The Cleveland Orchestra and the IU Jacobs School of Music, for what is certainly a highlight of this year’s season,” IU Auditorium Director Doug Booher said. “This program will be especially memorable, as we welcome back IU alumnus Joshua Bell to collaborate with these world-class musicians, as they enrich the University and community with their residency programs and stunning performance.”

The orchestra’s centerpiece is at 8 p.m. Jan. 23 at the IU Auditorium. With Music Director Franz Welser-Möst at the helm, the orchestra, including Bell, will perform Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” and Beethoven’s “Violin Concerto in D Major.”

Bell, who joined the Jacobs School faculty in 2007, said he owes a large part of his inspiration and drive to study music to the Cleveland Orchestra. Renowned violinist and pedagogue Josef Gingold, a former Jacobs School of Music professor and former concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, helped Bell grow into a better violinist, the Bloomington native said.

“Faculty members have come to us from the orchestra, and Jacobs School alumni have held positions in its ranks,” said Gwyn Richards, dean of the Jacobs School of Music. “It is especially exciting to pair the orchestra with an alumnus and faculty member in whom we take such pride.”

Founded in 1918, the Cleveland Orchestra is considered one of the most sought-after performing ensembles in the world. Their program in Bloomington includes Schumann’s “Piano Quintet” and Mendelssohn’s “Octet.” Additional residency activities include an after-school visit with young string musicians at Fairview Elementary School and an orchestra management seminar presented by Cleveland Orchestra administrators.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at IUAuditorium.com or the IU Auditorium box office. IU students can purchase tickets for $20 or $41 with a student ID. Tickets for the general public are priced at $38 and $60 depending on the seating choice.

—Jeff LaFave