Violinist Joshua Bell, Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, has been appointed honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) — one of the highest honours granted by the United Kingdom — for his services to music. The distinction was conferred by King Charles III on the advice of the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Bell, who has led the London-based orchestra since 2011, described the award as “a profound and wholly unexpected honour” that deepens his sense of connection with both the ensemble and the United Kingdom.
Members of the orchestra and its leadership praised Bell’s impact on the Academy’s artistic life and international profile. Clarinettist and trustee Tom Lessels noted that Bell’s direct-from-the-violin leadership brings “concerts of unparalleled vitality and virtuosity,” while Chief Executive Annie Lydford described his tenure as key to strengthening the orchestra’s role as “one of the UK’s most important cultural institutions and global ambassadors.”
During the 2025–26 season, Bell will lead the Academy on more than four international tours, including performances at Cadogan Hall, London (20 January 2026) and Carnegie Hall, New York (5 March 2026), featuring Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 “Spring” and Brahms’s Violin Concerto.
Founded in 1958 by Sir Neville Marriner, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields remains one of the world’s most distinguished chamber orchestras, celebrated for its clarity of sound and collaborative spirit.
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