Mehta to lead IPO's New Year concerts
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Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO)’s New Year gala concerts will take place at Seoul Arts Center on Jan. 5 and 6. / Courtesy of Sens Music Management
By Do Je-hae
Maestro Zubin Mehta will bring the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) to Seoul for two gala concerts on Jan. 5-6 at Seoul Arts Center.
A former music director of the New York Philharmonic, Mehta has worked with the IPO more than 40 years.
On Jan. 5, they will play pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss and Rimsky Korsakov. On Jan. 6, they will play the Brahms Symphony and some shorter pieces by Beethoven.
The IPO appointed Mehta music advisor in 1969, music director in 1977, and music director for life in 1981. Combining concerts, recordings and tours, Mehta has conducted thousands of performances on five continents with the IPO.
From 1961 to 1967 he was music director of the Montreal Symphony. He was appointed music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1962, a post he retained until 1978. In 1978, Mehta became the music director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. During his thirteen years in New York, he conducted over 1,000 concerts, thus holding the position longer than any music director in the Orchestra's modern history.
Born in 1936 in Bombay, India, Mehta grew up in a musical environment. His father, Mehli Mehta, founded the Bombay Symphony and was Music Director of the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles. Despite this musical influence, his initial field of study was in medicine. At the age of eighteen, he abandoned his medical career to attend the Academy of Music in Vienna. Seven years later, he conducted both the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics. He has rapidly become one of the world's most sought after orchestral and operatic conductors.
The IPO was founded in 1936 by violinist Bronislaw Huberman and its inaugural concert, on Dec. 26 1936, was conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The IPO plays in subscription series, including a special annotated Youth Concert Series, special concerts, concerts as part of the "Arts for the People" project throughout Israel, and special concerts for IDF soldiers at their outposts.
The IPO annually tours the world's cultural centers and its prestigious festivals. Israel's creative artists are promoted by many IPO premieres of works by Israeli composers. The IPO also contributes to the absorption of new immigrants and includes in its ranks many new immigrant musicians. The orchestra has hosted most of the world's greatest conductors and soloists, and it also does much to develop Israeli artists and young talents from Israel and abroad.
In 1992 Kurt Masur was appointed honorary guest conductor and since the 2011-12 season, Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda has been chief guest conductor.
Tickets range from 50,000 won to 380,000 won. For more information, visit
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