Joshua Bell | Events

Antonio Strad Violin had the good fortune of sponsoring Joshua Bell’s reception at Bohanan’s Saturday night, January 31, 2009. Mr. Bell performed earlier that evening at the Majestic Theater to a full house and earned praise from the San Antonio Express News.

Texas Public Radio coordinated the event and among the attendees included San Antonio Symphony Resident Conductor Mr. Ken-David Massur, Mr. Jeremy Denk, pianist for Mr. Bell’s performance, and Principal San Antonio Symphony Bassist, Mr. Tom Huckaby.

The performance itself was absolutely sublime, beginning with Janacek’s Sonata for Piano and Violin followed up with Brahm’s Violin Sonata in D minor. Pianist, Jeremy Denk, made it clear with this accompaniment that this, in fact, was no one-man show. The Philadelphia Reviewer has noted there is no upstaging in their performance, illustrated well Saturday night with his utter sensitivity and understanding of Bell’s movement and style.

Bell chose to mesmerize us further with Ysaye’s Violin Sonata, no. 2 in A minor, which included the Obsession prelude, Malinconia, Sarabande, and Les Furies. It was a complete selection, full of melancholic, gothic-like, passages, rounded off with expressive and virtuoso runs that were clean and, technically, flawless. It seemed to be a piece near Bell’s heart, explaining to the audience that Ysaye was considered by many the greatest Violinist that ever lived.

Closing out the evening’s performance was Francks’ Violin Sonata in A major and a delightful encore performance of Massenet’s Meditation.