MÜNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER

The Münchner Philharmoniker was founded in 1893 and has since, under the direction of numerous renowned conductors, greatly enriched the musical life of Munich. Gustav Mahler conducted the orchestra in the world premieres of his Symphonies nums. 4 and 8, and in November 1911 the world premiere of Mahler's Song of the Earth took place under the direction of Bruno Walter. Ferdinand Löwe conducted Bruckner's first concerts and established the orchestra's Brucknerian tradition, which was later perpetuated by Siegmund von Hausegger and Oswald von Kabasta.

ZUBIN MEHTA, director

He was born in Bombay, in 1936, and received his first musical education from his father, Mehli Mehta, a noted violinist and founder of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. After completing some medical studies, he moved to Vienna in 1954, where he entered Hans Swarowsky's conducting program at the Akademie für Musik. He won the Liverpool International Conducting Competition in 1958 and was also awarded at Tanglewood. In 1961 he had already conducted the Vienna, Berlin and Israel Philharmonics, with which he recently celebrated 50 years of collaboration.

He has been Principal Conductor of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (1961-1967) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (1962-1978). In October 2019, he completed his tenure as head of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and was named Conductor Emeritus. In 1978, he assumed the position of chief conductor of the New York Philharmonic, a position he held for 13 years. From 1985 to 2017, he was head of the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano
Internationally recognized as one of the most acclaimed and admired pianists today, Yefim Bronfman is among that elite of artists regularly sought after by festivals, orchestras, conductors and recital series. His technique, his power and his exceptional lyricism are constantly recognized by both the press and the public.

Born in Tashkent, in the Soviet Union, he emigrated to Israel with his family in 1973, where he studied with pianist Arie Vardi, director of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. In the United States he studied at the Juilliard School of Music, Marlboro School of Music and Curtis Institute of Music, with teachers such as Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher and Rudolf Serkin. He received an honorary doctorate in 2015 from the Manhattan School of Music.
Yefim Bronfman became a US citizen in July 1989.