Born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1967, Joshua Bell began playing the violin at age 4. Growing up, he didn't focus on the violin exclusively. His other interests included video games, computers, cars, and sports. In 1978, he was a national tennis champion. However, at age 11 he attended the Meadowmount music camp and subsequently began to devote more time to the violin. He began studying with Josef Gingold at Indiana University. In 1981, Bell began performing with some of the world's leading orchestras. In 1989, he graduated from Indiana University, and he moved to New York City shortly thereafter. Bell maintains a very busy schedule of playing, touring, and recording. He performs and records not only classical music but also contemporary, bluegrass, Gershwin, and Bernstein. He plays a 1713 Stradivarius, known as 'The Gibson'.
