One of the city’s premier musical education institutions, the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation (MMMF) turns 30 on September 27. Ahead of the book launch about its storied legacy, founder-trustee Mehroo Jeejeebhoy speaks about its illustrious past, and why music is critical for the future wellbeing of society. Excerpts from the interview
(From left) Dan Zhu (violin), Kun Woo Paik, Mehroo Jeejeebhoy, and Henri Demarquette (cello)
Three decades is a long period in the lifetime of any organisation. Could you take us back to the beginning, and how it all started?
IT all started with a group of friends. Zubin Mehta had requested me to organise a tour of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in India in 1994, when diplomatic relationships between the two countries reopened. We were not an organisation back then. While the funds raised from the ticket sales of the five concerts were donated to charity, there were some leftover funds that helped us establish the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation.
Zubin Mehta named it after his father, Mehli Mehta, since he felt indebted to him for his early education. We had no premises or a teaching programme. But it all came together with the Sangat Chamber Music Festival we organised in 1996.
Maestro Zubin Mehta
We read about this key event in the newspapers back then…
It was the first ever Chamber Music festival in the country. I reached out to invite Indian performers from India, who had stellar careers abroad — from Jagdish Mistry, Patricia Rosario, Marilena Fernandes, to the D’Souza brothers [Harvey and Ralph].
All of these musicians agreed, and for no fee at all. It was during this period, as we witnessed amateur and young musicians from the city interacting with the musicians, discussing music that we felt a need for an educational institution focused on music.
Andrea Bocelli during his Mumbai visit. Pics Courtesy/MMM Foundation
What was musical education like in this period?
We are still lagging far behind in terms of musical education. Currently, we have 40 string students at the Foundation. The other challenge is the lack of musical education in school. In some countries, it is mandatory for every child to receive two hours of musical education every week. I suppose everything from engineering to computers have taken precedence here.
We should have an entire building dedicated to a music school. This is an art that requires investment of time and resources.
In spite of this, the foundation has done well to host some of the greatest names in Western Classical Music in the city. Could you recall some of the highlights?
The greatest thrill was to present some of the finest orchestras and artistes that visited the city. And it is thanks to Zubin Mehta. He would encourage his friends to visit India, and they were all of the highest calibre — from Mstislav Rostropovich, Itzhak Perlman to Placido Domingo, among others. In fact, they all came out of friendship and respect for Zubin, and would waived their professional fees.
A moment from an edition of the Sangat Chamber Music Festival
We tend to look at these names as mythical, serious legends. How were they in real life?
I was always in great awe of these artistes, but when you meet them they are simple, natural human beings. All of them are highly intelligent and interested in so many things.
For instance, we would attend a concert where Zubin had conducted something profound, and he would be charming and jovial at the dinner after. If I conducted a performance like that, I would not be able to sit down and do small talk.
Mstislav Rostropovich; (right) Placido Domingo during his performance in Mumbai in 2024
These anecdotes will add value to the book…
There were so many stories through the years, and we were looking for a way to document some of them. It was not an easy task. We had to cull many. Some stories we just could not put into the book [she laughs]. It is an amalgam of many experiences.
Pooja Vir stepped in as publishing adviser, while Shabnam Minwalla authored the book. Fravashi Aga has contributed to the design.
Does this set the ball rolling for the future?
We hope that we can move the goalposts further, and increase the number of teachers, train more students, and also encourage younger people to attend more concerts. Music is a very enduring art, and the more you study in depth, the greater the pleasure you gain from it.
But what I would love is for someone to come along and say, ‘Here, this is a building for you to run your school from.” [laughs] Today, in a world fractured by wars, we need music more than ever. We need the arts, and music is a very powerful tool.
CALL 2235403076 (for more details on the book)
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