Via Neatorama, I just read a lengthy, erudite, fascinating piece about an experiment in art and fame:
Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston’s stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100. Two weeks later, at the Music Center at Strathmore, in North Bethesda, he would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements. But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell was just another mendicant, competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.
‘Mendicant’? Really? The piece’s writing style is rather, well, baroque, but it’s worth the read, and there are a number of videos of Bell playing in the subway station.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Very interesting article. Part of me wanted to make the argument that a number of the people who didn’t stop to listen probably couldn’t…they were on the clock, or on their way to work, and couldn’t be late. It’s hard to say.
I also wish musicians like Joshua Bell would come and busk where I work!!
I found the first 1/3 of the article very interesting, but I was a little annoyed by the self-righteous tone. I felt like I was being told ‘It’s likely that you wouldn’t have stopped, you pedant! However, we who appreciate quality classical music would have chosen to be late for our various commercial endeavours, by Jove, for the chance to see Joshua Bell perform at a Subway terminal. We might even deign to take the Subway just to see it, rather than having Henri and our car service drive us.’
My bias notwithstanding, the videos were lovely. I’ve only ever heard recordings of Bell perform, so it was interesting to actually see him play.
There is a great response to the Joshua Bell article by a NYC subway musician in her blog: http://www.SawLady.com/blog
She interprets the situation differently from the Washington Post reporters… I thought you might find it interesting.