Classical musician Joshua Bell & the Academy of St Martin in the Fields bring a new tour to Symphony Hall this month, presenting a programme fusing Vivaldi’s classic Four Seasons with a brand new commission by Edgar Meyer...

There are few classical musicians who can lay claim to a fame that reaches beyond those already interested in their field, but even if you’re not familiar with the work of violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, there’s a chance you’re at least vaguely aware of the 2007 Washington Post experiment that saw him busking incognito in a New York subway.

Over 10 years later, the story still crops up more often than he’d like - not least because he has much more to say about his phenomenal body of work before and since. Having made his solo debut aged just 14, he’s gone on to become one of the world’s most celebrated classical performers, winning multiple awards and being colourfully described as ‘the Poet of the Violin’. 

Latterly, he’s been taking up new challenges as music director of the acclaimed Academy of St Martin in the Fields, succeeding its late founder, Sir Neville Marriner. It’s in this capacity that he’ll be heading to Birmingham’s Symphony Hall this month, leading the orchestra in performances of Beethoven’s exuberant Second Symphony, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and a brand new, 10-minute commission by his old friend and frequent collaborator, Edgar Meyer.

“Edgar comes from a background in Nashville, Tennessee, where as well as studying classical music, he was a bluegrass double bass player,” says Bell. “He also played a lot of jazz, so his musical language brings together a real mix of different influences. It’s hard to describe but I would say that although it’s rhythmically very complex, it’s also very tonal and accessible.

“What I like about it is that it’s something that has emerged very organically out of who he is as a musician. A lot of composers who are focused on being different and finding their own voice can end up with something that sounds quite artificial and gimmicky. But somehow Edgar’s music is always very honest, and I find that quite refreshing.”

Previous collaborations between the two include a double concerto for violin and bass, as well as the chamber music album Short Trip Home. As a bright, ambitious high schooler, Bell first met the older Meyer at Indiana University, where he was double majoring in Mathematics and Music.

“He plays to what he thinks are my strengths, but I sometimes think he overestimates my abilities! He has a brilliant mathematical mind and creates these incredibly complex, precise rhythms that I sometimes wonder if I’ll be able to pull off at all.

“Luckily the Academy is really quick and open to new challenges. I think a lot of European orchestras would have struggled with a piece like this - the first time we performed it we were just happy to get through it without falling apart! But when we premiered it at the Bravo! Vail festival in Colorado, they had a lot of fun with it and Edgar was really pleased, so I’m excited about taking it out on tour.”

Attracting large and diverse audiences for classic concerts can be difficult in and of itself, a challenge that’s magnified where new compositions are involved. At the Bravo! Vail premiere, says Bell, people told him afterwards how “surprised” they were that they’d enjoyed it. It’s not unusual for audiences to be so apprehensive, and as far as Bell’s concerned, he doesn’t blame them. 

“Partly I think people in the classical world can be sceptical about new compositions just because we have so much great music that has stood the test of time. People know that a Beethoven symphony is going to move them - what are the chances that a new piece is going to have that kind of effect? Of course in every generation there is some great music and a lot of not so great music, but with older classical music, we’ve weeded out everything that’s not so good from our programmes today, whereas with new work it’s still hit and miss.

“Also I think in recent years there’s been a lot of music that seems quite random and dissonant that people have struggled to connect with. But listen, I’m one of those people who is pleasantly surprised when I like a piece of new music myself! I think it’s important to keep challenging people with new work, but when I hear a piece that I can’t relate to as a musician, it makes me wonder how someone who is outside the music world can get anything from it.”

Those seeking the reassurance of more familiar titles will find it in the pieces programmed alongside Meyer’s. In particular, The Four Seasons should be a significant draw - if you want to know why, look up Bell’s superb 2008 recording (there’s a Spotify link on the Academy website). Beethoven’s Second, meanwhile, will be a first for him - one of just two Beethoven symphonies he has yet to perform. As usual, he’ll also be managing the tricky balancing act of leading the orchestra while performing himself, without the help of a separate conductor.

“I love it! I’ve always really enjoyed playing concertos as a soloist, but now with the Academy I still get to do that, while also working in much finer detail on what I want from them. After years of playing these pieces, I have very strong convictions about how I want every aspect of them to be, and now I can control that without having to work through a conductor. I also really enjoy the way the orchestra responds without having a middle man with a stick. It feels more like playing chamber music and it’s exciting for me as well.”

Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields play Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on Tuesday 23 January.

By Heather Kincaid