Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez: "Voice and the Violin"

With a career spanning almost four decades, Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell CBE is one of the most celebrated artists of our time. He has performed with virtually every major orchestra in the world and regularly appears as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, conductor, and as the music director of London’s Academy of St Martin in the Fields. In 2025 he was awarded an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to music.

Bell continued to champion the rediscovered Violin Concerto by Thomas de Hartmann in the 2025-2026 season, following his world premiere recording of the work. He gave its U.K. premiere at London’s BBC Proms, its North American premiere with the New York Philharmonic, and its Canadian premiere during his season-long tenure as a Toronto Symphony Spotlight Artist. With the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, he led extensive tours, including returns to Vienna Konzerthaus and Carnegie Hall.

Other highlights included his first appearances as principal guest conductor of the New Jersey Symphony; an Asian tour with Hamburg’s NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra; trio programs with Steven Isserlis and Evgeny Kissin in the U.S. and Europe; and duo recitals with Jeremy Denk at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Ravinia Festival.

In 2011 Bell succeeded founder Sir Neville Marriner as music director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He is also the founder and music director of Chamber Orchestra of America, which aims to empower the next generation of artists.

Bell has commissioned and premiered works by John Corigliano, Edgar Meyer, and Nicholas Maw. His recording of Maw’s Violin Concerto won a Grammy Award, and his work on the film soundtrack for The Red Violin helped secure Corigliano’s Academy Award.

Bell’s collaborators include Emanuel Ax, Chris Botti, Chick Corea, Renée Fleming, Josh Groban, Lang, Dave Matthews, Anoushka Shankar, Regina Spektor, Sting, and Daniil Trifonov. He has made three appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and numerous appearances on the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle. His extensive discography has been recognized with Grammy, Mercury, Gramophone, and Opus Klassik awards.

Born in Bloomington, Indiana, Bell began playing the violin at age four, starting studies with his mentor, Josef Gingold, eight years later. At 14, Bell debuted with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and at 17 he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the St. Louis Symphony. He signed with his first label, London Decca, at 18, when he also received the Avery Fisher Career Grant. 

Since then, Bell has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America, selected as a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, and recognized with the Avery Fisher Prize. He received the 2003 Indiana Governor’s Arts Award and, in 2000, was honored as an “Indiana Living Legend.” Bell has performed for three American presidents and the justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. After participating in former president Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities’ first cultural mission to Cuba, he headlined the subsequent Emmy-nominated PBS Live from Lincoln Center special.

Bell performs on the 1713 Huberman Stradivarius violin.

Puerto Rican opera singer Larisa Martínez is praised and sought after for her “smoky soprano” (Opera News), gracing top stages and collaborating with household names of today. 

Martínez has made orchestra appearances with Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the Chicago, New Jersey, and Indianapolis symphonies. In 2019 she made both her Kennedy Center recital debut and Carnegie Hall debut, singing Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 with the Athens Philharmonic. Internationally, she recently performed as soloist with the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra and made her debuts at Athens’ Herodeon Theater and Korea’s KSPO Dome. In April she premiered a new work written for her and violinist Joshua Bell by Academy Award-winning composer John Corigliano.

Martínez is a longtime touring partner of acclaimed tenor Andrea Bocelli, performing for packed houses such as the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Garden. Her Voice and the Violin program, created with Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, has visited the Ravinia Festival, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Verbier Festival, Pacific Symphony, and Colorado Symphony.

Martínez was invited as part of President Barack Obama’s artistic delegation to Cuba in 2016. The visit culminated in the Emmy-nominated PBS special, Live from Lincoln Center: Seasons of Cuba.

Her operatic roles include Violetta in La Traviata (Wichita Grand Opera), Sophie in Werther alongside tenor Piotr Beczala (Culturarte), and Maria in West Side Story with tenor Michael Fabiano (Festival Napa Valley). Martínez originated the role of Isaura in the world premiere of Mercadante’s Francesca da Rimini in Italy, conducted by Maestro Fabio Luisi. That same year, she won the 2016 Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Audition in Puerto Rico. 

An advocate for accessible music education, Martínez is an artistic resident of Turnaround Arts, led by the Presidential Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She is also passionate about representing her Boricua cultural heritage through projects and performances. 

Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez' Voice and the Violin program blends classical art songs, opera, musical theatre, and music by Puerto Rican and Spanish composers. Accompanied by pianist Peter Dugan, Bell and Martínez create an intimate concert that showcases both violin and voice. 

No. This is a chamber music recital featuring violin, soprano, and piano, allowing audiences to experience the close musical dialogue among the three performers. 

Not at all. While Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez' Voice and the Violin includes selections from opera, it also features art songs, musical theatre, and other repertoire. The variety of styles makes it an accessible introduction to classical vocal music, as well as a rewarding experience for longtime fans.

Peter Dugan is an acclaimed pianist, composer, and collaborator who joins Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez for this performance. As the recital pianist, he provides the musical foundation for both the violin and vocal repertoire. 

Not together. This marks the first time Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez have appeared together at the Center for the Arts. Bell previously performed at the center in 2015, while this is Martínez's first appearance. 

Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez created Voice and the Violin to share their love of making music together. The husband-and-wife duo developed the program during the pandemic, discovering repertoire that beautifully combines violin and voice in an intimate recital setting.

Joshua Bell performs on the 1713 Gibson ex Huberman Stradivarius, a violin crafted by Antonio Stradivari in 1713. Widely regarded as one of the finest violins ever made, it is celebrated for its extraordinary sound, centuries-old craftsmanship, and remarkable history. Today, the instrument is estimated to be worth approximately $14 million.

The most important thing is that you're comfortable. There is no dress code, so do what feels right for you. Do you want to get dressed to the nines for a special night out? You won't be the only one. Do you feel like keeping things casual? You won't be alone there, either.  

All campus parking, including along Alumni Mall, requires a parking permit from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted by signage. 

Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street at 300 Turner Street NW.

• For many Center for the Arts performances and large events, this garage will be staffed by an attendant and payment ($10, cash only) must be made at the time of entry. This event parking price is $2 higher than the garage’s daily rate to allow us to provide staffing to make both entering and exiting the garage more efficient for larger numbers of cars. You may exit at the Turner Street gate.
• All other times, visitors can take a ticket upon entrance and pay the $8 daily rate using Visa or Mastercard when exiting.

Convenient parking is also located in downtown Blacksburg. Town parking is free every day after 5:00 p.m.

Patrons are always welcome to drop off and pick up guests directly at the main doors of the Center for the Arts on Alumni Mall and Turner Street.

Allowing yourself extra time improves the experience for everyone! We recommend arriving at least 45 minutes prior to the start of the performance so you have plenty of time for the safety screening and to get settled in your seats. Our lobbies and galleries open 90 minutes before performances, and the theatre doors open 30 minutes before the performance start time. Ushers will direct you to your seat and are happy to answer any questions.

For the safety of our guests and performers, all patrons may be required to pass through a walk-through metal detector before entering the theatre. The process is quick and touchless, and you may keep your personal belongings with you. If you need an alternate screening method, please speak with a member of our security team.

A small or clutch-size purse or clear bag is recommended. Oversized bags, luggage, and backpacks will not be permitted inside the theatre. Coat check will be available to check these items.

Concessions from Blacksburg Wine Lab are available for most performances. Concessions availability and locations will be included in the What to Know email for ticket holders. Concessions are available beginning an hour before the performance, so arrive early to avoid the lines and enjoy a drink before the show.

Cameras and recording equipment are not permitted inside the theatre during performances. To avoid distracting the artists and those around you, please turn off or silence your cell phone and put away all electronic devices before the performance begins. Photography, video recording, and audio recording are not permitted unless otherwise announced.

If you’re late, you may hear the beginning of the performance from the lobby while you wait to take your seat — either until intermission or an appropriate break in the program as requested and advised by the artists. Admitting late arrivals into the theatre is timed to cause as little disruption as possible to other guests and the performers on stage. In some cases, you may be seated in an alternate location in the theatre.

You will receive a “What to Know” email approximately 48 hours before the performance with helpful information on approximate runtimes, pre- and post-show activities, and any other information you will need to know before you head out the door. 

We are committed to being fully accessible to all patrons and their companions and strive to make our patrons’ experiences convenient and comfortable. In addition to our venue’s universal design features, we offer services and accommodations for parking, seating, listening, sensory support, courtesy wheelchair, elevators, restrooms, service animals, sign language, and visual aids. Find out more. 

No. Mobile tickets displayed on your smartphone are welcome, though printed tickets are also accepted.

While all sales are final, tickets to most events may be exchanged for another Center for the Arts performance within the current season. Please contact the box office at artscenter@vt.edu or by phone at 540-231-5300 at least one hour in advance of the scheduled performance to request an exchange. Refunds may be offered in extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the box office manager.