Born in Bombay, India, Zubin Mehta grew up in a musical environment. His father, Mehli Mehta, founded the Bombay Symphony and is currently Music Director of the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles. Despite this musical influence, Zubin's initial field of study was in medicine. At the age of eighteen, he abandoned his medical career to attend the Academy of Music in Vienna. Seven years later, he conducted both the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics. From 1961 to 1967 he was Music Director of the Montreal Symphony. He was appointed Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1962, a post he retained until 1978.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra appointed Mr Mehta Music Advisor in 1969, Music Director in 1977, and Music Director for Life in 1981.
Combining concerts, recordings and tours, Zubin has conducted over 1,600 performances on five continents with this extraordinary orchestra. Since 1986, he has also acted as Music Advisor and Chief Conductor of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the summer festival in Florence, Italy.
1978 marked the year Maestro Mehta became the Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. During his thirteen years in New York, he conducted over 1,000 concerts, thus holding the position longer than any Music Director in the Orchestra's modern history. One of the many highlights for Zubin took place in 1988, when the orchestra embarked on a 10-day tour of the Soviet Union. This culminated in an historic joint concert with the State Symphony Orchestra of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, in Moscow's Gorky Park. In May of 1991, the Maestro concluded his tenure in New York with three performances celebrating the 100th anniversary of Carnegie Hall, followed by a series of performances of Schoenberg's Gurrelieder. Twice in 1992 Zubin returned to guest conduct the New York Philharmonic: first in the world premier of Olivier Messiaen's last orchestral work Eclairs sur l'Au Dela and later in the gala A Philharmonic Celebration: 150th Anniversary Concert.
In June 1994, Mr Mehta and members of the Sarajevo Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed Mozart's Requiem amid the ruins of Sarajevo's National Library. It was broadcast to twenty-six countries worldwide with the aim of raising money for the UN Refugee Fund. Maestro Mehta also conducted the now legendary Three Tenors Concerts in Rome and Los Angeles.
Mr Mehta realized a long-time ambition in November 1994, when he brought the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to his birthplace, India. By conducting in Bombay and New Delhi, he helped bridge a political gap that had prevented them from performing there for three decades. His affection for the orchestra so close to his heart, combined with the love of his motherland, made this tour one of the most memorable events of his life.
In March 1996 he completed a four-year commitment to perform Wagner's Ring Cycle with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. April 29th marked Zubin's 60th birthday. Celebrations included a coast-to-coast US tour with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The grand finale took place in Los Angeles on his birthday. Both the Los Angeles and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestras performed together. Special guests were Pinchas Zuckerman, Itzhak Perlman and Daniel Barenboim. Later in 1996 Zubin performed at the Salzburg Festival, toured Japan with both the Florence Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic, and performed in Italy, Israel, Vienna, Munich and New York. In 1998 Mr Mehta will begin a five year appointment as Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
