Joshua Bell and the ASMF thrill in Schumann and Brahms

Joshua Bell leads the Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields

By Mark Valencia, 21 January 2026

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“avoided all trace of rhapsodic overkill”

Reviewed at Cadogan Hall, London on 20 January 2026

Puts, Earth

Brahms, Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77

Schumann, Symphony no. 1 in B flat major “Spring”, Op.38

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Joshua Bell, Violin, Director

A snowbound evening with Joshua Bell: comfort and unease in Hamburg

Mengguang Huang, 8th January

Amid snowbound Hamburg, Joshua Bell leads the Academy of St Martin in the Fields with warmth and lyricism, though Brahms’ concerto reveals limits, while Schumann’s symphony fully blossoms.

***11

Highly individual Mozart from Buniatishvili

Nick Boston, 9th December

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields give exciting performances at the Barbican, with idiosyncratic Mozart from Buniatishvili.

***11

Handel's Messiah overpowered by massed forces at the Proms

Nick Boston, 7th September

Massed choral forces, a strong solo line up and expanded orchestral forces overpower Handel at the end of the BBC Proms Choral Day.

***11

Depth and delivery: Joshua Bell and the ASMF in San Francisco

Lois Silverstein, 7th April

On a tour of the United States, Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields perform Mendelssohn, Schumann and Vince Mendoza in Davies Symphony Hall.

*****

Mozart and Beethoven from the ASMF and Bell in Sydney mini-residency

Zoltán Szabó, 8th October

Sydney revels in Joshua Bell's masterful violin playing and leadership of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields on their Australian tour.

****1

Polished Bell leads ASMF down under

David Larkin, 7th October

Joshua Bell directs the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in lively, well-crafted performances of Prokofiev and Mendelssohn in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

****1

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.