The London-based Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) orchestra, led by Bloomington native music director Joshua Bell, will perform at 7:30 p.m., March 26, in the IU Auditorium.
The Academy prides itself as one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras. Their work includes the 1969 bestselling recording of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning film “Amadeus.” According to ASMF’s website, the conductor-less ensemble has a discography of over 500 releases.
The ASMF was formed in 1958 by Founding President Sir Neville Marinner. Marinner, a violinist himself, created the academy with the intention of bringing together the finest artists in London for a top-class chamber ensemble. Marinner worked with orchestras around the world from Berlin to Boston and Tokyo. Marinner was awarded honors in England, including being made a Companion of Honour by Her Majesty The Queen in June 2015, as well as honors in France, Germany and Sweden. Marriner served as music director until 2011, when Bell took over Marinner’s position.
A Grammy-award winning music director, Bell began playing the violin at age four, debuting in Carnegie Hall at just 17-years-old. Bell has worked exclusively with the Sony Classical record label, for which he has recorded over 40 albums. The violinist was the focus of a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post story in 2007 and inspired the 2013 children’s book “The Man With The Violin.” Over his longer than 30-year career, Bell accrued several accolades including the 1991 Distinguished Alumni Service Award from the Jacobs School of Music.
Bell will perform a variety of pieces during the IU Auditorium event, including works from Mozart, Brahms and Schumann. Tickets start at $34 for IU students and $49 for the general public, available for purchase on the IU Auditorium website.
