Building upon the performance of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble in 2015, and Joshua Bell's performance in our collaboration with the Akron Symphony Orchestra in 2014, this concert will feature the Academy in its most robust composition.

The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is renowned for its polished and refined sound, rooted in outstanding musicianship. Formed by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958 from a group of leading London musicians, and working without a conductor, the Academy gave its first performance in its namesake church on 13th November 1959. Originally directed by Sir Neville from the leader's chair, the collegiate spirit and flexibility of the original small, conductor-less ensemble remains an Academy hallmark. This tradition continues today with virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell as its Music Director.

With over 500 recordings to date, the Academy is one of the most recorded chamber orchestras in the world. The orchestra received their first gold disc for their recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons in 1969 with the 2007 recording with Joshua Bell reaching No.1 on the Billboard Classical Chart. Their soundtrack for the film Amadeus won 13 gold discs alone, while in 1996 The English Patient picked up an Academy Award© for Best Music, with a soundtrack performed by the Academy. In March 2013 the orchestra and Joshua Bell released their first recording on Sony Classical under his leadership, Beethoven's Symphonies 4 and 7.