Honoring the legendary conductor and longtime friend, for Zubin Mehta’s 90th birthday the Belgrade Philharmonic is set to perform in India on January 15 and 16, 2026. Under maestro Mehta’s baton, the orchestra will be joined by world-class stars: pianist Lang Lang and violinist Pinchas Zukerman, at concerts in Mehta’s hometown of Mumbai, where the global celebration of this jubilee will begin.
At the invitation of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra has been presented with the extraordinary honor of being the first orchestra with which Zubin Mehta will begin his 90th birthday celebrations, which will take place across the world throughout 2026. In the city where the great maestro was born, leading artists from the international music scene will gather alongside the Belgrade Philharmonic, an orchestra bound to Mehta by a lifelong musical friendship.
The Belgrade Philharmonic holds a special place in Mehta’s legendary career as the orchestra that gave him his first professional opportunity back in 1958. Over the decades, the Philharmonic has developed a deep and unique friendship with one of today’s most distinguished conductors – a sentiment Mehta himself expressed by saying: When someone becomes my friend, I remain true to that friendship. The same goes for orchestras.
This marks a magnificent moment for the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, which will perform in India for the first time in its 102-year history, at the stunning National Centre for the Performing Arts, alongside some of the world’s greatest artists. Under Mehta’s direction, the orchestra will present two different programs featuring works by Mozart and Beethoven. The Belgrade Philharmonic will share the stage for the first time with superstar Lang Lang – considered one of the finest and most virtuosic pianists of our time – in Beethoven’s Emperor piano concerto. With the legendary violinist and Mehta’s longtime friend Pinchas Zukerman, the orchestra will perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, just as they did at their recent joint concert in Belgrade. Mehta’s performances of Beethoven’s Third and Seventh Symphonies will crown the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s showcasing in India.
Zubin Mehta is not only a maestro, but a true visionary who tirelessly builds bridges between cultures, uniting people through music. It is from his native Mumbai that a series of events will begin – events that will shape the global music scene throughout 2026, celebrating one of the most important musical figures of our time.
