Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta, one of the world's greatest conductors, is a Parsee, whose Zoroastrian ancestors took refuge in India after the Muslim conquest of Persia more than a millennium ago.

Hehas been the conductor of the Israel Philharmonic since 1991. Beforethat, he led the New York Philharmonic (1978-91), the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1962-78) and the Montreal Symphony (1961-67).

Hismusical career has been a long series of "firsts." He was the youngestman to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic, theyoungest to become music director of a major American orchestra, thefirst and, so far, the only music director of the Israel Philharmonic.His debut in London, on the night of Sir Thomas Beecham's death, was the first time any person from the former dominion of India had appeared with a major British orchestra.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
TheIsrael Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by Bronislaw Huberman in1936. Huberman was a Zionist and founded the orchestra in order to saveJewish musicians in Europe from theHolocaust, which he foresaw. The inaugural concert, on December 26th1936, was conducted by the legendary Arturo Toscanini to great acclaim,with the "Palestine Orchestra", as it was then known, beingcharacterised as "an orchestra of soloists". With Israel′sindependence in 1948 it was renamed "The Israel PhilharmonicOrchestra". It is now considered "one of the ten best orchestras in theworld today".