The Belgrade Philharmonic traveled to India for two concerts with the famous maestro Zubin Mehta in Mumbai on January 15 and 16, in honor of his 90th birthday. The Philharmonic was welcomed and received with the highest honors, and the meeting with Mehta before the first rehearsal was touching and emotional.

There was great excitement at the beginning of the first rehearsal at the National Center for the Performing Arts, and the maestro immediately made the atmosphere warm and familiar by greeting the orchestra with “good day and welcome” in Serbian.

“I am so happy to welcome you, I hope you had a nice trip,” Mehta greeted the musicians and first introduced Mrs. Mehroo Jijiboy, president of the Mehli Mehta Foundation, responsible for organizing the concerts in Mumbai. And then Khushroo N. Suntook, the president of the National Center for Performing Arts, who is one of his oldest friends.

“It is wonderful to have Zubin back with us again, although we would very much like him to be able to come more often. We are very grateful that he brought with him all the orchestras of the world, including you. Welcome wonderful people, I love Belgrade and your country very much because I often came to Yugoslavia. We are all here to welcome you now, I am grateful that you are with us and to Mrs. Mehroo who made it all possible. And of course, to our Zubin, maestro extraordinaire,” said Mr. Suntook.

The first rehearsal began briskly with the heroic motifs of Beethoven’s symphony “Eroica”, after which the maestro held another afternoon rehearsal with the orchestra. Tomorrow, the Belgrade Philharmonic will have its first rehearsal with violinist Pinchas Zukerman, who will be the soloist at the first concert on January 15 at the National Center for Performing Arts.