The Belgrade Philharmonic is ready for a grand trip to Mumbai and its first visit to India in its 102-year history, where it will be present from January 11-18 for two concerts in honor of the 90th birthday of the illustrious Zubin Mehta. Under his baton, the orchestra will perform works by Mozart and Beethoven with world-renowned soloists – violinist Pinchas Zukerman and pianist Lang Lang on January 15-16 at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

The concerts in Mumbai are organized by the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation, named after Zubin’s father. The foundation also runs a music school whose students, together with musicians from the Belgrade Philharmonic, will perform Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances at the opening of the first concert, as a tribute to Zubin Mehta.

“I am deeply delighted to be performing with my beloved Belgrade Philharmonic in my birth town. Returning to the city where I was born and sharing music here again fills me with immeasurable joy.

What makes me especially happy is that the musicians of the Belgrade Philharmonic will be working with the students of the music school within the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation – and that these young musicians will stand side by side with the professionals on stage, performing together. This beautiful collaboration between experienced artists and the youngest generation of musicians is incredibly meaningful to me. I am looking forward to meeting everyone again — the wonderful Belgrade Philharmonic, Pinchas Zukerman and Lang Lang — and to experiencing all of this in my homeland. I am filled with true happiness,” said Zubin Mehta.

The Philharmonic is ready for a long journey for which the preparations are very extensive, complex and exciting, just like the events in which the orchestra will participate in Mumbai. The orchestra will have two rehearsals with Mehta daily, and in addition to the performance at the National Center for the Performing Arts, numerous surprises are being prepared for the famous maestro at the accompanying ceremonies. Also, on the eve of the first concert on January 15, the international premiere of the documentary film “DA CAPO: Zubin Mehta and the Belgrade Philharmonic”, which was recently shown exclusively on RTS with great success, will be held. Directed by Boris Miljković, the film explores the deep friendship between the maestro and the orchestra, which will be presented to the audience in Mehta’s hometown, at the National Center for the Performing Arts.