Joshua Bell Awarded Honorary CBE
Music Director of ASMF formally appointed an Honorary CBE for services to music
We are delighted to announce that Joshua Bell, Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, has been formally appointed as an Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to Music. This prestigious honour has been conferred by His Majesty The King on the advice of the UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Joshua Bell CBE said
“This is a profound and wholly unexpected honour. Leading the Academy of St Martin in the Fields for nearly fifteen years has been one of the great privileges of my career.
This extraordinary orchestra has always made me — an American from Indiana — feel at home in a country so rich in history and tradition. To be recognized now as a CBE deepens the sense of kinship I feel with both my orchestra and the United Kingdom.
I could not be more grateful for this distinction, which stands as a testament to the many years of music-making I’ve been fortunate to share with these remarkable musicians.”
ASMF clarinettist and trustee Tom Lessels commented
“With Joshua leading us from within we have a recipe that results in concerts of unparalleled vitality and virtuosity. He demands the same unrelenting levels of focus and commitment of us that have long been a hallmark of his own playing and, without exception, we leave the stage feeling that we have given a performance as if our lives depended on it. He challenges us to listen harder and work harder, but is also incredibly generous as both a musician and person, and we are all stronger and more fulfilled musicians as a result.
In the years since Joshua officially joined the ASMF family, his leadership has elevated our understanding of orchestral playing, our abilities as a collective ensemble and our international standing to new heights. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter in our relationship holds!”
Hugh Bonneville, Supporter ASMF and it’s Life and Work, said
“I’ve had the privilege of seeing Joshua perform with the Academy around the world, and I’m always struck by the role he plays in representing our country on the global stage. His many years as Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields make him, in my view, uniquely deserving of this Honorary Honour”
ASMF Chief Executive, Annie Lydford, added
”The Academy of St Martin in the Fields stands, we feel, among the UK’s most important cultural institutions and global ambassadors. Deeply embedded in the musical life of London and the UK, we are proud to represent our country on the world stage – with over seventy international performances across eleven countries in the 2025/26 season alone, many under the direction of Joshua Bell. This recognition is a testament not only to Joshua’s extraordinary artistry but also to his inspiring leadership of this remarkable group of musicians.”
In the 2025/26 season, Joshua Bell will lead ASMF on more than four extensive international tours across multiple countries, including performances at:
Cadogan Hall, London on 20 January 2026
Carnegie Hall, New York, on 5 March 2026.
Both concerts will feature Schumann’s Spring Symphony No. 1 and Brahms’s Violin Concerto, with Bell directing the orchestra from the first violin chair.
The position of the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields is generously supported by the Berry Charitable Foundation.