Zubin Mehta

Born in Bombay in 1936 to the founder of the city's symphony, Mehta left for the Vienna State Music Academy at 18 and emerged three years later with a conductor's diploma and a string of competition wins. At 21 he was already on the podium of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. The 1960s brought a succession of substitute gigs under celebrated maestros, then the real chairs: Montreal in 1961, Los Angeles in 1962 — at 26, the youngest music director of any major North American orchestra. In 1969 Israel appointed him music adviser; by 1981 it was for life. He took the New York Philharmonic from 19…