In a first for Akron, the conductor-less Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell will perform together on Friday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. in EJ Thomas Hall, presented by Tuesday Musical. The pre-concert talk is at 6:30 p.m.
Bell as a soloist and the Academy have performed separately at EJ Thomas Hall, but this concert marks the first time that Bell and the full Academy will perform together in Akron.
(Photo courtesy of Tuesday Musical)
Tickets are $25 to $60, and free for all students through Tuesday Musical’s voucher program. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.tuesdaymusical.org or call Tuesday Musical at 330-761-3460. Tickets will also be on sale at the door that evening as long as seats are available. EJ Thomas Hall is at 198 Hill St., Akron, on the campus of The University of Akron.
The program includes Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 (Classical); Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto op. 35, in D major; Schumann’s Violin Concerto (with a codetta by Britten); and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, op. 93, in F major. The works by Tchaikovsky and Schumann feature Bell as the violin soloist.
In his fifth season as the Academy’s music director, Bell is the first person to hold the post since Sir Neville Marriner formed the conductor-less orchestra in London in 1958 and directed it from the leader’s chair.
The Academy is one of the most-recorded and best-recognized chamber orchestras in the world. Its soundtrack for the film Amadeus won 13 gold discs alone, while its soundtrack for The English Patient helped the film win an Academy Award for Best Music.
(Photo courtesy of Tuesday Musical)
The Academy and Bell as music director have recorded two CDs together. Their most recent, BACH, was released in September. The first, recorded in 2013, featured Beethoven’s 4th and 7th symphonies. Both recordings debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Chart.
Founded in Akron in 1887, Tuesday Musical Association is one of the oldest and largest organizations of its kind in the United States, presenting acclaimed classical artists and ensembles that are already well established as well as young emerging artists embarking on major careers. Tuesday Musical also presents robust educational programs and scholarship opportunities for young people.
This season’s supporters include the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, GAR Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, Akron Community Foundation, Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, and an array of other organizations and individuals. Support for the March 11 concert comes from The Gertrude F. Orr Trust Advised Fund of the Akron Community Foundation.
