Joshua Bell Washington Subway Metro Famous violin violinist secret performance post

Its 12th January 2007 at LEnfant Plaza Metro Subway Station, Washington. USA. A guy tunes up his violin and begins to play. Nobody pays much attention. The busker plays 6 plays six classical pieces by Bach. He is largely unnoticed or ignored. At the end there is no acknowledgement. No applause. After a little under an hour the busker stops and counts up the money that has been thrown into his open case. The total is 32 dollars.

But two nights before the same violinist sold out the Boston Symphony Hall. A mid priced seat was $100. The musician is the internationally acclaimed violinist Joshua Bell. For some performances he has been paid $1000 a minute. The instrument he was playing was made in 1713 by Antonio Stradivari during the Italian master's golden period. The last time it changed hands it cost $3.5 million dollars.

1097 people had passed by. 27 of them put something in his case. 7 people stop the longest is for just over one minute. (less info)