Joshua Bell gets a bloody nose at fraudster concert

Joshua Bell gets a bloody nose at fraudster concert

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norman lebrecht

October 14, 2017

During an event billed as ‘The Concert of a Lifetime’, the violinist Joshua Bell suffered a persistent nosebleed and was reaching for tissues throughout his performance.

The concert was a tribute to the late Herbert Axelrod, a controversial businessman and violin collector who mingled occasional philanthropy with outright fraud and went to jail for dodging US taxes.

Among Axelrod’s dubious enterprises was a sale of overvalued Italian violins to the New Jersey Symphony, almost driving the orchestra out of business.

Bell, however, was a recipient of one of his better Guarneris.

The concert took place before an audience of 400 at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal, New Jersey.

Nosebleeds can be brought on by emotion.

Read Martin Steinberg’s concert report here.

 

Comments

  • Respect says:

    Saw Jeffrey Tate conduct a Rheingold with a bloody nose, the orchestra kept passing him kleenexes from the the pit throught, the poor man did the entire performance, but the stand was a bloody mess after.

  • Sue says:

    I wonder if this man was related to George Axelrod, writer of “The Seven Year Itch”?

  • Sophia says:

    No, Joshua Bell is not related to George Axelrod, however Joshua Bell did purchase a violin from him. I myself am a violinist and while I was playing once I did get a nosebleed but idk if it was coincidence…I did go to one of Joshua’s performances I was lucky enough to sit In the pit and experience his performance at The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Opening night.He portrays beautiful music and sincere notes.

  • Jaime Herrera says:

    I think Dietmar Machold had some connection to the infamous Jersey violin deal. The managers of the orchestra bear a lot of responsibility for this deal – they should have been a lot more careful. They were beguiled – shame on them. Stewart Pollens would have given them excellent advice but, what’s done cannot be undone. I’ve played through a runny nose but never a nosebleed. I can only imagine the discomfort….

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