Zubin Mehta | conductor

Pinchas Zukerman | violin

Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

A production of Megaron the Athens Concert Hall
in celebration of its 30th anniversary
Presented in the Athens Epidaurus Festival

Monday 14 June | 21:00

Megaron the Athens Concert Hall presents at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus a grand concert on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, featuringthe legendary conductor Zubin Mehta, internationally acclaimed violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the famous Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, in works by Johannes Brahms. The production will be presented on Monday, 14 June at 9:00 pm in the framework of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, while it also marks Megaron’s very first participation in the Festival with a classical music concert. The conductor, a favourite of Athenian concertgoers, and the leading symphony orchestra will perform Symphony no. 2 in D major, op. 73, the second of the four symphonies of the brilliant German composer, while the famous virtuoso violinist will play the Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major, op. 77, the only concerto that Brahms ever wrote for the violin.

Zubin Mehta, the magician of the podium

The word “phenomenon” fits Zubin Mehta perfectly: “There is no other, more representative term to describe the level of his art.” The above view, shared by music critics around the world, seems to be fully shared by the Greek audiences, every time the award-winning conductor visits our country.

The magician of the podium has the longest and brightest career of all: in his 50-years on the music stages, he has given over 3,000 concerts on all five continents, and has also conducted numerous operas in the world’s greatest lyric theatres. With dedicated fans that follow him closely in all his appearances, he stood out from already at the early stages of his career, serving as musical director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1961-1967), the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1978) and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1978-1991). In the mind of the global audience, Mehta has forever associated his name with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which he led from 1977 to 2019! At Megaron, we have had the pleasure of enjoying many sold-out nights of the well-known Israeli ensemble under his direction.

Zubin Mehta is also very active as a musical pedagogue around the world, actively supporting the discovery of young talents and participating in music foundations and schools in Mumbai (the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation) and Tel Aviv (the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music), which promote musical education programmes for children and young people.

Pinchas Zukerman, a multidimensional violinist

A violin and viola soloist, conductor and chamber musician, Pinchas Zuckerman is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after and multidimensional soloists of our era. With an enviable career that spans five decades, he is famous for the expressive lyricism of his performances and his flawless musicality.

With an impressive discography (over 100 albums), Zukerman has won 2 Grammy® awards and has been nominated 21 times for the same award.
Standing out from his scheduled appearances this year are his concerts with well-known orchestras in the United States and Germany, as well as his recitals with the Zukerman Trio in the USA and Spain. His recent partnerships (2019-2020) include appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, with the Boston, Dallas and Prague Symphony Orchestras, and with the Staatskapelle Berlin Orchestra. As a soloist, he has toured the Far East with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and has also appeared in Canada as an honorary principal conductor of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He has given concerts with the Zukerman Trio in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and has performed, together with his old friend and musical partner Daniel Barenboim, the complete cycle of Beethoven’s sonatas for violin and piano in a special series of recitals in Berlin.
He is the recipient of major national and international awards and distinctions, and has a rich record of activity as a musical pedagogue in many countries.

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra

It was founded in 1928 by the distinguished conductor Vittorio Gui, under the name “Stabile Orchestrale Fiorentina”. From its inception, it was heavily engaged in giving concerts, also providing orchestral support for many opera productions at Florence’s Teatro Comunale. In 1933, the Orchestra helped create of the highly prestigious Festival of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, one of Europe’s oldest artistic events, from which the Orchestra took its name. Important chapters in the Orchestra’s history were the tenure of Riccardo Muti as its Principal Conductor, as well as that of Zubin Mehta, who left his mark in every season with major concerts and operatic productions as well as with long tours. Recently, Mehta, as the Orchestra’s Lifelong Honorary Conductor (since 2006), made with it a particularly successful third tour of Japan.

The Orchestra is held in high esteem in the international music world and, throughout its history, has had as its conductors some of the best-known maestros, while it has also been directed by brilliant composers in their own works, often in world premiere.

Several of its numerous recordings have won major international awards, including a Grammy® Award (1990). The Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has also participated in many broadcasts and has been honoured with the “Fiorino d’Oro” medal of the city of Florence.