Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven, Overture to Egmont; Bruch, Violin Concerto No. 1; Price/orch. Gray, Adoration; Beethoven, Symphony No. 7. With Joshua Bell, conductor & violinist. March 27, 2026, Roy Thomson Hall.
Joshua Bell needs no introduction. The multi award-winning violin virtuoso has performed for world dignitaries and with every major orchestra in the world. He was also famous for busking anonymously at a Washington D.C. subway station during rush hour with his multi-million dollar instrument, earning just over 30 bucks in 45 minutes, after a thousand commuters passed him and only a handful stopped to listen.
As the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Spotlight Artist this season, he was making his second appearance with the TSO, as both soloist and conductor.
Beethoven: Overture to Egmont
From the concertmaster’s seat, Bell conducted the Overture to Egmont, which Beethoven composed for Goethe’s play.
Beethoven is the master of transformation — like many of his symphonies, this piece paints an emotional arc from darkness to triumph. Bell created effective drama, leading the orchestra from the brooding opening chords to gripping climaxes, while also playing the violin part.
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor
The Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 is one of the most popular showcases of the instrument, and few living violinists match Bell’s technical brilliance.
From the first notes, he showed exquisite lyricism and phrasing; the distinctive sound of his 1713 Huberman Stradivarius glowed with tonal beauty.
Bell’s approach to this concerto was akin to slowly savouring an aged wine.
Taking a more relaxed tempo throughout, there were many deliberate uses of fermatas in the first movement. The heart-stopping cadenza then segued seamlessly into the haunting second movement Adagio. The final movement Allegro energico was surprisingly subdued. While it was played with lots of flair and intense emotion, Bell’s solo was more about polish and refinement than exuberance.
Price: Adoration
Bell announced from the stage that instead of playing Florence Price’s “Adoration” in the second half as scheduled in the program, they would play it as an encore.
Despite successes in her lifetime, the African-American composer faded into obscurity upon her death. Lucky for us, her music has been revived in recent decades, when unpublished works were discovered.
This version of “Adoration,” originally composed for organ, was arranged for solo violin and strings by American composer Jim Gray. Although written as a church hymn, the four-minute piece has the all the makings of a love song, brimming with tenderness and devotion. Again, Bell showed the expressive musician he is, both as a soloist and as a conductor.
Although this romantic piece was totally mesmerizing, it was disappointing that we did not get an actual encore.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major
For Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Bell conducted the piece by memory and used his hands to shape the melodies without a baton.
Compared to his performance years ago, Bell has matured as a violinist in both technique and interpretation, yet he still exudes a boyish charm when he conducts, swaying and arching his whole body while throwing martial arts-like punches.
Like with the Bruch, he took the same sedate approach to this Beethoven symphony. The normally vivacious first movement felt more like a gentle lullaby. The second movement Allegretto, made famous for its poignant accompaniment to King George VI’s wartime radio address in the film “The King’s Speech”, was the orchestra at its best. Bell drew passionate playing from the strings, which shimmered like nymphs dancing on tiptoes.
It was a welcome relief when Bell injected more fire into the third movement, a Scherzo that has many high-spirited, playful elements.
Still, I yearned for a more gusto and ferocious rhythmic drive to the final movement. Something was lacking in this performance of Beethoven’s majestic, celebratory work. It feels that Bell is more in the comfort zone of conducting a chamber orchestra (like the esteemed Academy of St Martin in the Fields, for which he serves as music director,) and less accustomed to delivering a full symphonic orchestral sound.
Despite any shortcoming, there is no doubt that the legendary Joshua Bell sells tickets, and we always crave to hear more from him.
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.