Legendary conductor Zubin Mehta has arrived in Belgrade ahead of his concert with the Belgrade Philharmonic on 23 October at Kolarac Concert Hall, as part of the major worldwide celebrations marking his 90th birthday. The Gala Concert is already sold out, and the maestro held his first rehearsal with the orchestra today, preparing works by Wagner, Schubert and Dvořák.

Mehta warmly greeted the Philharmonic musicians, who welcomed him with a standing ovation at the beginning of the rehearsal: “Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am very happy to be with you again. As always, it gives me great joy.” Pointing out that the programme was particularly demanding, Mehta immediately began working on Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7. Friday’s concert programme will also feature Wagner’s Rienzi Overture and Schubert’s Symphony No. 3.

Every visit by Maestro Zubin Mehta is a great privilege and a joyful occasion, not only for the musicians of the Belgrade Philharmonic but also for the wider Serbian public. The concert celebrating his milestone birthday will mark his 19th appearance with the Belgrade Philharmonic, as part of a musical friendship spanning almost seven decades. Back in 1958, the Belgrade Philharmonic was the first orchestra to offer the young Mehta a professional opportunity, a gesture the maestro fondly recalls to this day.

Mehta has honoured Belgrade by including it among the world’s cities hosting celebrations of his 90th birthday and one of the greatest conducting careers in music history. The festivities began this January with the Belgrade Philharmonic in his hometown of Mumbai, followed by concerts with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Berlin and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in Barcelona.