Known for his poetic musicality, violinist Joshua Bell made his orchestral debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 14. That performance, followed by his Carnegie Hall debut and his first recording contract at age 18, created a sensation that spread throughout the music world. Now in his thirties, Joshua has performed with nearly every leading symphony orchestra and conductor, recorded 26 albums and is considered to be a classical music superstar.

Joshua and his two sisters were raised on a farm in Bloomington, Indiana. As a child, he had many hobbies other than music, including computer games and sports. He placed fourth in a national tennis tournament at age 10 and still keeps his racquet close by.

Joshua received his first violin at age four after his parents, both psychologists, noticed him plucking tunes with rubber bands he had stretched around the handles of his dresser drawers. By age 12, he was serious about the instrument, thanks in large part to the inspiration of renowned violinist Josef Gingold, who had become his beloved teacher and mentor.

In 2002, his Grammy-winning recording of West Side Story Suite, based on Leonard Bernstein's works, was highlighted by a performance on the 44th Annual Grammy Awards telecast. The same music was featured on the 2001 PBS Great Performances special, "Joshua Bell: West Side Story Suite from Central Park," which received an Emmy nomination for Best Classical Music-Dance Program.

In 2001, Joshua received the Grammy Award and a Mercury Music Prize for the Nicolas Maw Violin Concerto. Written expressly for Joshua, the concerto featured Sir Roger Norrington conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Joshua's recording of the Sibelius & Goldmark violin concertos with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic captured the Echo Klassik Award for Best Concerto Recording. Joshua also received a Grammy nomination for Gershwin Fantasy -- derived from Porgy and Bess -- featuring John Williams as conductor and pianist.

Interested in further blurring the lines between musical genres, in 1998 Joshua hooked up with longtime friend, bassist and composer Edgar Meyer. Together they organized a quartet with legendary bluegrass musicians Sam Bush and Mike Marshall. This resulted in the Grammy Award-nominated Short Trip Home, which they performed on the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards telecast. Other crossover projects include collaborations with Wynton Marsalis on Listen to the Storyteller, a spoken word children's album, and with Bela Fleck on Perpetual Motion. Both albums received Grammy Awards.

Following his three-year involvement with the film "The Red Violin," where he was responsible for all violin sound for the movie and soundtrack recording composed by John Corigliano, the album won the Oscar for Best Original Score.

A chamber music enthusiast, Joshua initiated an annual series of chamber music concerts at London's Wigmore Hall in 1997, which was so successful, he was invited by the Auditorium du Louvre to bring the series to Paris. He enjoys chamber music collaborations with artists such as Pamela Frank, Steven Isserlis, Edgar Meyer and Yefim Bronfman as well as occasional collaborations with artists outside the classical arena including Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea and James Taylor.

Joshua was one of the first classical musicians to be the focus of a music video, which has been broadcast on the VH1, A&E and Bravo television networks. Joshua was the subject of the 1995 documentary film presented on BBC's "Omnibus," and later broadcast on Bravo. He has been featured on National Public Radio and profiled in publications including People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People issue, The New York Times, Esquire, Newsweek, New York, Vogue, Travel & Leisure, Gramophone, Classic CD, Pulse, Strad and Strings. Elle Magazine stated that Joshua "is the most celebrated American-born violinist of the modern era."

Joshua graduated from Indiana University, and in 1998, he began teaching a series of master classes at London's Royal Academy of Music and he has served as Adjunct Professor at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, helping to develop a new generation of high tech instruments and toys.

A New York City resident, when Joshua is not busy playing sports, video games or maintaining his website, he can be found with his Antonio Stradivarius violin dated 1713 known as the "Gibson ex Huberman."