His father, Mehli Mehta, was the first Indian violinist to introduce Western classical music to India in 1930s. He was also the founding conductor of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. In this sense, Zubin has followed in his father’s footsteps.
The series, held in Mehta’s home town of Mumbai, Oct. 7–12., featured tenor Placido Domingo (performing for the first time in India), pianist Daniel Barenboim, soprano Barbara Frittoli, violinist Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Amanda Forsyth, and pianist Tatiana Goncharova, accompanied by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Zubin Mehta, 72, renowned conductor and honorary citizen of Tel Aviv and Florence, organized the event together with Mehli Mehta’s other son, Zarin, 70, who is executive director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Both were hoping to raise enough funds to found a music school in their home country, where Indian musicians can study Western classical music and develop their talents. According to Zubin Mehta, this school will not compete directly with Indian classical music, which is allegedly suffering from a lack of young players and singers.
“Music education is about young people, and it is vital,” said Mehta in an interview with The Times of India. “And especially in India, education is vital. I wish that our government would be in a position to impose compulsory education everywhere, in every village.”
All the proceeds from the concerts will be contributed to this cause.
Mehta’s Thoughts on Music
Zubin Mehta has devoted his whole life to music. After making his conducting debut in 1958 in Vienna, the young musician later moved on to become the music director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 1960, assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1961, music director and principal conductor of the New York Philharmonic in 1978, and music director for life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1981.
In his biography, “The Score of My Life,” which was officially introduced in Mumbai last week, the great conductor enthusiastically talked about the profound 400-year history of Western classical music. He shared how when he first heard a Brahms Symphony being played by a Viennese orchestra, he felt that his “ears had opened for the first time.”
He revealed how it felt to play with Pandit Ravi Shankar, how Wagner is like Queen Victoria of Europe (in musical terms), and his own theory on why conductors live so long: “It’s because they love what they do. It’s a spiritual experience; it doesn’t stop. It’s like molten lava; it never stops.”
The maestro believes music has a sure, strong, but gradual healing effect and should not be underestimated in its ability to bring people closer together.
