In an exclusive interview for India Today, the conductor Zubin Mehta stated that he has cancelled all of his planned appearances in Israel, in protest of policy enacted by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the latter’s treatment of the Palestinian issue.
Mehta has previously had a strong presence in the Israeli performing scene. He was Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra from 1981 to 2020, and presently serves as its Music Director Emeritus.
In the interview, he highlighted his work with Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which unites players from across the Middle East, as an example of young musicians from these countries working alongside one another harmoniously.
When asked whether it was possible to separate music from politics, Mehta replied “well I can’t, I never have.”
“I cancelled all my engagements in Israel this year, because of my objection to Mr Netanyahu’s way of treating the whole Palestinian issue,” he added. I hope that finishes…I hope he is outvoted by the next election.”
“Many of my colleagues do [take a stance on political issues], and many turn a blind eye. I can’t agree with them.”
One of the most eminent conductors working today, Mehta had worked with some of the world’s top orchestras — including the Vienna, Berlin, and Israel Philharmonics — before his 25th birthday.
In the 1960s and 1970s, he held music directorships at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1978, Mehta bagged the top job at the New York Philharmonic and still holds the distinction of being its longest-serving conductor, with a tenure of thirteen years.
PC: Teatro alla Scala