Legendary maestro Zubin Mehta, one of the greatest conductors of all time, has arrived at the Belgrade Philharmonic and already held his first rehearsal with the orchestra, ahead of two concerts scheduled for October 11 and October 12 at the Kolarac Concert Hall.

Both concerts are sold-out events, and there was great excitement filling the air as Mehta reunited with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra for their fifteenth collaboration. The maestro greeted the musicians in Serbian, saying:

Good day everyone, I am very happy to be here again. I am sorry I couldn’t join you on your tour to China, but I hear it went wonderfully, he told the orchestra.

Mehta began rehearsals with Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, opting for an unusual setup with the woodwinds placed at the center of the orchestra. The program also features the overture from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) and his Symphony No. 40 in G minor.

At 88, Mehta remains an active and towering figure in the world of classical music, with a career spanning nearly seven decades. His performances are often regarded as historic, and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra is among the elite orchestras with whom he regularly collaborates. Just a day before arriving in Belgrade, Mehta conducted Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony in Florence with the Maggio Musicale Orchestra. After his performances in Belgrade, he will conduct the Buchmann-Mehta Orchestra in Tel Aviv, followed by engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.