Bach’s music is really some of the greatest. I think, in some ways, Bach is the most profound composer of all. Joshua Bell Read Quote
In a way, the highest praise you could give to a composer like Bach was to take and make your own arrangement; it was sort of an homage to that composer and to his work, so it wasn’t considered sacrilegious to do something like that. Joshua Bell Read Quote
I’ve always been accused of moving around too much when I play concertos. Sometimes, conductors ask me which of us is leading. Joshua Bell Read Quote
It’s been very exciting for me to start directing and conducting, exploring the symphonic repertoire, which I’ve always loved. Joshua Bell Read Quote
My teacher, Josef Gingold, a student of the French school, always loved the music of Saint-Saens and Henri Vieuxtemps and all the French repertoire. Joshua Bell Read Quote
As far as I’m concerned, the stakes are always very high. Whether it’s playing at the White House or playing for a group in my own house – you know, one of those soirees I play in. Once I start playing, the stakes are somehow higher, in a way, than any of the context. Joshua Bell Read Quote
Conducting is a strange thing to teach. There are very few great conducting teachers, and most great conductors don’t teach. Look at Valery Gergiev – what he does is not teachable. A lot of it is on-the-job training, what works and what doesn’t work. Joshua Bell Read Quote
In 1987, I had no idea who Steven Isserlis was. We met at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. It was originally just an Italian summer festival, but for the past 14 years, there’s also been a spring festival in America. Joshua Bell Read Quote
