Indian-born, legendary Music Conductor, 87-year-old maestro – Zubin Mehta, was honoured for his lifetime’s musical legacy with the Golden Medal of Honor of the City of Munich, on 26th January, 2024. The ceremony was accompanied by a concert from the Munich Philharmonic, which played works by Weber, Ravel, and Johann Strauss II, under the baton of Lahav Shani.
Zubin Mehta’s career highlights include being Artistic Director of numerous globally leading and eminent orchestras and his tireless philanthropic work, particularly in the field of educating children in western classical music. On Mehta being awarded with the Golden Medal of Honor of the City of Munich, the Munich Philharmonic shared on social media, “We couldn’t be happier about this and are so deeply fulfilled after our first week with four concerts together. What a great musician and person you are, dear Maestro!”
One of the most distinguished music conductors of our time, Zubin Mehta was born into a musical family in Mumbai, India, in 1936. He spent two semesters studying medicine before he chose to pursue conducting. He studied with Hans Swarowsky at the Vienna State Music Academy and went on to win the Liverpool Conducting Competition as well as the Sergei Koussevitzky Competition, in Tanglewood.
By age 25, Zubin Mehta had conducted the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, as also the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He held music directorships at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1961-1967) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1978). In 1977, he was named Chief Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and was appointed Music Director for life (1981). In 1978, he bagged the top job at the New York Philharmonic and continues to hold the distinction of being its longest-serving conductor, with a tenure of thirteen years.
On October 20th, 2019, 83-year-old, Indian-born, Zoroastrian superstar Music Conductor, Zubin Mehta, took the stage for an emotional final performance as Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic, in Tel Aviv, retiring after 50 years with the Orchestra. Having conducted over 3,000 concerts to a global audience for half a century,
In September 2002, Mehta awarded an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), in recognition of his eminent service to the Australia-India bilateral relationship and humanity-at-large, particularly in the fields of Classical Music and Philanthropy.
Zubin Mehta’s father, Mehli Mehta, founded the Bombay Symphony and was Music Director of the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles. Together, with his brother Zarin, Zubin is the Co-Chairman of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation in Mumbai, where children are educated in Western Classical Music.
