ISRAEL/USA: At 70, legendary Indian-born conductor Zubin Mehta is still young at heart and keen for more medals

Record ID: 396401

  • Title: ISRAEL/USA: At 70, legendary Indian-born conductor Zubin Mehta is still young at heart and keen for more medals
  • Date: 28th December 2006
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CONDUCTOR, ZUBIN MEHTA SAYING "Well, I'm still a young man, I have lot's to learn'
  • Embargoed: 12th January 2007 12:00
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  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVACPBHH8M5OYQ2LSDFE7OQMTQ7W
  • Story Text: Legendary conductor Zubin Mehta sees his life as a never-ending mission, and despite the success and world-wide acclaim of his career, says he still has lot's to learn.
    "I'm on a mission for Beethoven, for Mozart, for Brahms, I have to convince hundred people about the mission of the composer," the Indian-born Mehta told Reuters Television at an event marking the 70th anniversary for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and his own 70th birthday.
    "If they hear the Fifth Symphony of Beethoven from two or three different conductors, how is it different, what kind of importance does he put in the orchestra, what kind of enthusiasm does he get from the orchestra and what kind of message of the composers is brought forth from that orchestra to the public? This is the conductor's mission, from that sense it never ends," said Mehta just days ahead of the inaugural celebrations in Tel Aviv.
    Born in Mumbai in 1936, Mehta received his early education in music from his father Mehli Mehta, a violinist and co-founder of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra and later the musical director of the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles.
    In 1958, he made his conducting debut in Vienna and won the International Conducting Competition in Liverpool, later going on to become assistant conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
    Mehta moved from conducting in Liverpool to working as musical director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1978, he became musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. His 13-year tenure there would be the longest in the orchestra's history.
    In 1981, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom Mehta had worked in various capacities since 1969, made him its musical director for life. He has conducted over 2,000 concerts with this orchestra.
    At age 70, Mehta confessed he is happy in his current roles, mainly in Israel and in Florence, Italy, and is looking forward to a full schedule ahead of him - at least for the next year.
    "I take the Israel Philharmonic on tour, we will have a long tour of Europe next year coming up, and I'm looking very much forward to the New Year's concert in Vienna, our concert from Israel to celebrate the 70th birthday will be broadcast live in Europe so it's good that we are speaking all over the world too," said Mehta.
    "It will be my great pleasure on the first of January to welcome Romania and Bulgaria to Europe, when I do that concert with the Vienna philharmonic, first of January European community will have two new members and they have asked me to welcome them, I have a great pleasure in doing that. As an Indian!"
    Mehta takes great pride in conducting the IPO and says he feels like an ambassador when he leaves Israel's shores.
    "The orchestra is 70 years old, it goes neck to neck with the history of their own country. They have been there from before the country came into existence and they will keep on playing for Israel wherever they can and Israel should use them too," he said.
    The Israeli orchestra's 70th birthday will be marked with a series of 12 concerts being held between December 17 and 31.
    World-renowned soloists and conductors who have accompanied the IPO through the years will take part, among them Daniel Barenboim, Lorin Maazel, Valery Gergiev, Kurt Masur, Gustavo Dudamel and Yefim Bronfman.
    Mehta, who turned 70 this year, is as old as the orchestra, and his career at the IPO spans four decades. He doubles as an advocate for the Jewish state when touring with the orchestra abroad and is certain that Israelis perceive him as "their Indian friend".
    India established full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992, which assumed a new dynamic and came under full public scrutiny with the visit of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to India in September 2003.
    When asked whether he feels he played an important role in normalizing relations between the countries, Mehta said he probably played an important role just by performing on stage for Israelis.
    "Everytime I come on stage as an Indian over two thousand Israelis know that this is an Indian who comes in friendship, let's say," he said.
    Despite his ventures across the world, Mehta still identifies with India and takes great pride in his origins.
    "I am very proud to be an Indian and I don't ever expect to give up my passport," said Mehta.
    But in the same breath, Mehta took the opportunity to call on the Indian government to deal with pressing issues such as AIDS. "When I hear the problems that are in India that granted people are doing something about but not enough is being done for instance the HIV problem, which has only paid lip service as far as I'm concerned and I don't care how many governments will deny my accusations still very little is being done," he said.
    In 1994, Mehta realised his long-time ambition of bringing the Israel Philharmonic to Mumbai and New Delhi, bridging a political gap that had prevented the orchestra from playing in India. He mentions this as one of his most memorable moments.
    Mehta says his dream is to one day build a school for Western classical music in his hometown in memory of his father.
    "There is a great amount of talent in India, we must build a school so that people don't only think that in order to learn Western music they have to go abroad, they should have the possibility to learn at home, and I hope that will happen in the future in Bombay," he said.
    Mehta was among five stalwarts from the arts and entertainment field honoured by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this year for their lifetime contribution to arts. Mehta, alongside musical theatre composer and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber, country singer and songwriter Dolly Parton, singer, songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson, and film director and producer Steven Spielberg, were presented with a medal at a reception hosted by US President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other politicians and celebrities.
    At age 70, Mehta appears content but still keen on collecting more medals to add to his life-long achievements.
    "Well, I'm still a young man, I have lots to learn," he said with a smile.
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