Like all arts organizations, the N.C. Symphony is trying to ride out tough economic times. And at times like these, it's nice to know that you can depend upon the kindness of strangers -- like Joshua Bell, the virtuoso violinist who is scheduled to play Thursday night with the Symphony. Bell came into town a day early to play a private fund-raising event, a Wednesday night house concert/dinner party in Cary.

See the story about that here. And if you're not familiar with Bell, check out this amazing Washington Post feature from a few years ago about an intriguing experiment.