Academy Of St Martin In The Fields Comes to the Wharton Center

Academy of St Martin in the Fields, one of the world's finest chamber orchestras, will be playing some of the world's greatest classical music led by music director and violin icon Joshua Bell. The Academy has an international reputation for its distinctive, polished and refined sound. Celebrating their 60th anniversary, the Academy will bring fresh, brilliant interpretations of classical music to Wharton Center on Monday, February 24, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets online, whartoncenter.com; at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office; or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields was started by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958 from a group of leading London musicians, with their first performance in its namesake church in 1959. Since then, over 500 recordings comprise a distinguished discography that includes the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film Amadeus. The name and sound of the Academy are known and loved by audiences around the world.

Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated violinists of our time. In his 30-year career, he has proven to be a multi-faceted musician as an award-winning soloist, chamber musician, recording artist and conductor. He has recorded more than 40 CDs garnering Grammy, Mercury, Gramophone and OPUS Klassik awards. At 18 years old, he first met the Academy by recording the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Beethoven Symphonies No. 4 and 7, the Academy's first release under Bell's leadership, debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. His most recent recording with the Academy, Scottish Fantasy and G minor Violin Concerto, received a Grammy nomination. Performing on the 1713 Hubert Stradivarius violin with a François Tourte 18th-century bow, The Boston Globe hails Josh Bell as "the greatest American violinist active today."

The evening performance features Mozart's popular The Marriage of Figaro Overture plus Brahms' last symphony and possibly his greatest, the majestic Fourth Symphony. The evening also includes Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1, a musical firework of a piece that must be heard live, especially performed by Joshua Bell. As a special treat, there will be an original cadenza by Mr. Bell in this piece.