Mehta is the lifelong director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra since 1981. He has had innings with this orchestra since 1969.
His relationship with Daniel Barenboim (who is of Russian Ashkenazi Jew extract, but is a citizen of Spain, Israeli, Argentina and Palestine and has an 'alternate' career as a peacemaker using music to heal Arab and Jewish tensions in Israel) is equally long. They were contemporaries at the Vienna academy where Mehta came to study music at the age of 18 after dropping the idea of becoming a doctor.
Incidentally Mehta grew up at Cuffe Parade, south Mumbai and went to school at St Mary's, Mazgaon, central Mumbai, and St Xavier's College.
Also read: Encore, Zubin!
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