Joshua Bell

Violinist Joshua Bell has been one of the most visible faces of classical music, to the point that even people who aren't classical music fans have heard him. There’s the soundtrack work for feature films, among them of course, The Red Violin. He made an Americana album with bassist Edgar Meyer and leading bluegrass players. He fused classical with Latin music in a collaboration with the band Tiempo Libre.

Now another side of Joshua Bell: On his new Beethoven recording, one of the world's best known violinists conducts the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

"I've been around conductors my whole life and watched a lot of them. And very often I thought, 'I could do that,'" Bell joked. "For me, it just sort of evolved very naturally. It basically sprouts from chamber music, which has really been my great love all my life."

Bell talks with host John Schaefer about his role as music director of the Academy, a new (old) Guarneri violin and much more. Plus, he performs a Schubert sonatina live in the Soundcheck studio.

The classically-trained violinist tells us which musicians he would love to work with in the future. The answer may surprise you.