Mumbai school to welcome alumnus Zubin Mehta

After a historic concert in Srinagar and two houseful concerts in Mumbai, master conductor Zubin M. Mehta will visit his alma mater, St. Mary's School, on the occasion of its ongoing 150th anniversary celebrations, a school official said.

Started in 1864, the prestigious school is tucked away in one of the bylanes of the congested Mazagaon area which has a mixed population of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Parsis and a unique old world charm that is gradually being edged out by modern development.

Returning "home" to Mumbai, his birthplace after two years, Mehta will unveil the 150th year celebrations logo of the school which he last visited in 1967, according to the school official.

During the year, the school has planned a host of events to commemorate the century and half of quality ICSE education, values and excellence beyond academics.

"Mehta, an alumnus of St. Mary's ICSE School, expresses great pride in being an ex-student of the institution and has a deep sense of nostalgia for the school," the official said.

ome of the other prominent alumni of the school include Homi K. Bhabha, Azim Premji, Goolam Vahanvati, Sooraj Barjatya, Boman Irani, Iqbal M. Chagla, Justice B. Lentin, among others.

Prior to his school visit Wednesday, Mehta regaled Mumbai audiences with two sold-out concerts held at the NCPA Monday and Tuesday.

He led the Bavarian State Orchestra in a string of classical symphonies and violin concertos along with two celebrated soloists - Lithuania-born Julian Rachlin and Japanese-American Modori Goto.

Mehta was born in 1936 in Mumbai and received his first musical education under his father Mehli Mehta, a well-knowned concert violinist who founded the Bombay Symphony Orchestra.

Mehta and his brother Zarin are co-chairmen of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation here which imparts training in Western classical music to over 200 children as part of their efforts to discover and nurture new musical talent.