Maybe Joshua Bell should take a nap. Instead, he's in a car headed from London to Heathrow Airport, where he'll catch a flight to Amsterdam, and doing an interview on his cell phone.

Somehow, Bell doesn't sound pooped, though he has every reason to be. He has just finished a series of recitals he organized at London's Wigmore Hall, and he's about to embark on a European tour with pianist Stephen Hough. His schedule is packed at least until he finishes a U.S. tour this month with pianist Simon Mulligan. Among their concerts on this side of the Atlantic is a recital Tuesday at Severance Hall to benefit the AIDS Housing Council of Greater Cleveland.

 "I love doing recitals," says Bell, as chipper as ever. "I tend to do more (orchestra) concerts, but I probably prefer to play recitals. There's a more intimate atmosphere and just a different feeling."

 Whatever the feeling, the violinist has been an international star since his teens. Now 31, Bell grew up in Bloomington, Ind., where he studied with Josef Gingold, the late former concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra. The young fiddler worshipped Gingold, who guided him not only in concertos, but in chamber-music repertoire and virtuoso miniatures that once were the mainstay of violin recitals.

 While Bell is devoted to the major works of the violin repertoire, he agrees with his beloved teacher that the old-fashioned, sentimental and fancy-schmancy chestnuts deserve a place on recital programs.

 "Audiences love it and I love it," he said. "It's great music in its own way. It's a shame that tradition has died down these days. I think some critics don't like that repertoire. They say it's not great music, which is kind of silly. It used to be almost too much the other way. Heifetz and Milstein would fill up programs with these pieces. Now people tend to do big sonatas. I like to treat a recital as a meal. It has a main course, but you also have your dessert."

Bell's main courses Tuesday will comprise Brahms' D minor Sonata, Ravel's Sonata and Aaron Copland's Sonata, in honor of the American composer's centennial. These will be followed by "dessert," an assortment of violin goodies to be announced from the stage.

In many respects, Bell's career could be considered an extravagant meal. He appears with the world's great orchestras, plays chamber music and recitals with esteemed chums, and is among the select soloists who continues to have a recording contract (previously with Decca, currently with Sony Classical).

His recordings aren't restricted to the classical realm. Two years ago, Bell's Gershwin Fantasy" disc with John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra entranced listeners and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Classical Crossover." Among his big projects last year was the solo part (offscreen, except for his arms) in Francois Girard's film, "The Red Violin," in which he played music by John Corigliano that became a concert piece, "Red Violin Chaconne." He performed it last season with the Cleveland Orchestra.

Perhaps his most unusual recent endeavor was "Short Trip Home," a disc of music by his friend, bassist Edgar Meyer, whose pieces are cast in bluegrass and folk idioms that the violinist finds refreshing. Along with Meyer, his colleagues are noted bluegrass musicians Sam Bush and Mike Marshall.

"It was a great learning experience for me," Bell said. "It was mostly written out. There was some room for improvisation, which I did a bit and a bit more as we went along. Edgar wrote the music around this group of players. He designed my part in a way that didn't call for as much improvisation as their part. I think he's an amazing composer."

Meyer composed a violin concerto that Hilary Hahn has recorded and that Bell probably will add to his repertoire. It is among numerous pieces Bell plans to explore. High at the top of his list are the Bartok or Shostakovich concertos.

Bell's activity before the microphones continues at a healthy clip. He recently recorded the Sibelius and Goldmark concertos with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. This fall, he will record the Beethoven and Mendelssohn concertos with Roger Norrington and the Salzburg Camerata. Also set for Sony Classical later this year is a disc of Bernstein's Serenade and commissions of Bernstein arrangements, including "West Side Story."

Bell's projects keep him on the road many months each year. When he does get a break, he spends time at home in Manhattan with friends, plays golf or goes skiing. These pleasures are occasional respites from a demanding artistic schedule.

"It's pretty exhausting," he said. "Every minute of my time is accounted for, including this interview. But I enjoy that, being on the edge. I'm happy to be working and also doing things that I really love to do. I'm happy with the opportunities I'm having these days. I really shouldn't complain. Any overwork I'm doing I've kind of wished on myself."

A moment later, Bell's car has arrived at Heathrow and he's off to make more of the music he adores.