Zubin Meta (Zubin Mehta) |
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Meta was born in Bombay and grew up in a musical family. His father Meli Meta founded the Bombay Symphony Orchestra and directed the American Youth Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles.
Early in his career, despite family musical traditions, Zubin Meta decided to study to be a doctor. However, at the age of eighteen he left medicine and entered the Vienna Academy of Music. Seven years later, he was already conducting the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras, becoming one of the most famous and sought-after opera and orchestral conductors in the world.
From 1961 to 1967, Zubin Mehta was music director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and from 1962 to 1978 he was director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Maestro Mehta dedicated the next thirteen years to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. As the musical director of this group, he was longer than all his predecessors. More than 1000 concerts – this is the result of the activities of the maestro and the famous orchestra during this period.
Zubin Mehta began working with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969 as a musical consultant. In 1977 he was appointed artistic director of the orchestra. Four years later, this title was awarded to Maestro Mete for life. With the Israel Orchestra, he has traveled five continents, performing in concerts, recording and touring. In 1985, Zubin Meta expanded the range of his creative activities and became a consultant and chief conductor of the Florentine Musical May festival. Beginning in 1998, he was Musical Director of the Bavarian State Opera (Munich) for five years.
Zubin Meta is a laureate of numerous international prizes and state awards. He was awarded honorary doctorates by the Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute. In honor of Zubin Mehta and his late father, the conductor Meli Mehta, a department of the Musicological Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was named. In 1991, at the Israel Prize ceremony, the famous conductor received a special award.
Zubin Meta is an honorary citizen of Florence and Tel Aviv. The title of honorary member in different years was awarded to him by the Vienna and Bavarian State Operas, the Vienna Society of Friends of Music. He is an honorary conductor of the Vienna, Munich, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, the Florence Musical May Festival Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orchestra. In 2006 – 2008 Zubin Mehta has been awarded the Life in Music – Arthur Rubinstein Prize at the La Fenice Theater in Venice, the Kennedy Center Honorary Prize, the Dan David Prize and the Imperial Prize from the Japanese Imperial Family.
In 2006 Zubin Meta’s autobiography was published in Germany under the title Die Partitur meines Leben: Erinnerungen (Score of my life: memories).
In 2001, in recognition of Maestro Meta’s services, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The conductor is actively searching for and supporting musical talents around the world. Together with his brother Zarin, he runs the Meli Meta Music Foundation in Bombay, which provides over 200 children with classical music education.
Based on materials from the official booklet of the anniversary tour in Moscow
He made his debut as a conductor in 1959. He performs with leading symphony orchestras. In 1964 he performed Tosca in Montreal. In 1965 he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera (Aida). In the same year he performed Salome at La Scala and Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio at the Salzburg Festival. Since 1973 at the Vienna Opera (Lohengrin). He has been performing at Covent Garden since 1977 (he made his debut at Othello). Principal Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1978-91). Since 1984 he has been artistic director of the Florentine May festival. In 1992 he performed Tosca in Rome. This production was broadcast on television in many countries. Performed Der Ring des Nibelungen in Chicago (1996). He performed in the famous concerts of the “Three Tenors” (Domingo, Pavarotti, Carreras). He has worked with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Among the recordings is one of the best versions of the opera Turandot (soloists Sutherland, Pavarotti, Caballe, Giaurov, Decca), Il trovatore (soloists Domingo, L. Price, Milnes, Cossotto and others, RCA Victor).
E. Tsodokov, 1999
