From: Steven_Mello@brown.edu (Steven Mello)
Subject: Re: Joshua Bell, beautiful twink violinist whom only DAK has heard of
Date: Thu, 09 Mar 1995 09:33:58 -0500

When I was in college, I sang with a chorus that shared an all-Mozart
program with Joshua Bell.  He played one of the concertos (#3?), 
and the chorus sang the requiem mass.  Anyway, at the dress 
rehearsal a bunch of us were sitting in the parterre balcony about 
10' from where he was playing.  Of course he was masterful. (Although 
one jealous and, coincidentally, straight male friend of mine criticized 
his bowing (?!).  I guess you have to be a string player to care about
something like that.)

So after he played the first movement, he hands his instrument
to the concertmaster and **peels** off his now perspiration-
drenched shirt.  He played the rest of the rehearsal topless while we
in the balcony (and a good portion of the orchestra) swooned.

Afterwards we sought him out to tell him how incredible he was
(and that he played pretty well, too), and we ended up taking him
to the local bar for a couple of pitchers of watered down beer.  A
truly wonderful time was had by all....

-Steven.