Joshua Bell Becomes Principal Guest Conductor of New Jersey Symphony

Violinist Joshua Bell has had a long and fruitful relationship with the New Jersey Symphony over the last three decades and appeared as a soloist in the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in the 2022–23 season. In the Fall of 2023, Joshua led the New Jersey Symphony as soloist and conductor for the first time, in works of Beethoven and Mendelssohn — a collaborative musical week for both Bell and the orchestra's musicians that sparked the idea for this continued partnership.

Beginning in the 2025–26 season, Bell will serve as the Symphony’s inaugural principal guest conductor through the 2028–29 season. So far, Bell will appear on one program weekend each season. Additional collaborations will be announced at a later date.

“I first played with New Jersey Symphony more than three decades ago, and they have held a special place in my heart ever since," Bell said. "My most recent appearance with the Symphony was particularly meaningful to me, as I had the privilege of playing and conducting on the program. I am thrilled to be continuing in this role as principal guest conductor for several seasons to come. I can’t wait to share the stage with my New Jersey Symphony friends in the 2025–26 season!"

Bell joins Chinese American conductor Xian Zhang, who began her tenure as the New Jersey Symphony’s current music director in 2016. In 2024, Allison Loggins-Hull succeeds Daniel Bernard Roumain as the orchestra’s next Resident Artistic Partner.

GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell has performed with virtually every major orchestra and currently serves as the music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. In April 2024, the Academy announced the extension of Bell's Music Director contract through the 2027–28 season.

As an exclusive Sony Classical artist, Bell has been nominated for six GRAMMY awards, named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America, a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, and has received the Avery Fisher Prize. He also received the 2003 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award and in 2000 was named an “Indiana Living Legend.”

For his contribution to music education, he has received the 2022 Paez Medal of Art, bestowed by the Venezuelan American Endowment for the Arts, and the 2019 Glashütte Original Music Festival Award, presented in conjunction with the Dresden Music Festival.

Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin.