Quotes from Zubin Mehta

I've known Pinchas Zukerman since he was a teenager.

My temples are only in India. When I am in India, I go to the religious ceremonies.

The private sector is growing so incredibly in India, in every city you have industries for whom building a concert hall would be nothing financially. But they just don't do it.

It's hard to find an emblem of cultural, national pride that burns as bright as Israel's success in classical music.

Go to the young conductors who are not making it, and you will hear how we shouldn't push ourselves or sell ourselves, how they don't have the right connections and the right opportunities. Well, you can be sure they've had the opportunities.

I have had bullets flying at concerts, but I don't want to talk about that.

As soon as, say, Saddam Hussein started bombing Israel with Scuds, everyone was like, 'Poor Israel.' But when Israel retaliates - and most of the time they then win - people turn against them.

Some musical directors have more chutzpah. They pick up the phone and talk people into giving. I prefer to call and say 'thank you' after the money has been contributed.

One learns how to change gears within a concert repertoire.

I feel that the critic and music director should have such a good relationship they can pick up the phone and call each other any time.

Israel is a piece of real estate that neither Jew or Arab will let go of; neither will leave these shores. And so they will have to learn to live together.

New York for a long time was a kind of conductor's graveyard.

I'm very much tied to the state of Israel, but I am against their policy of settlements in Palestine.

My family and relatives alone could fill Shanmukhananda Hall in Bombay.

I have a few homes, and Los Angeles is certainly one of them.

I am always hearing from Israelis, 'Oh, CNN is anti-Israel,' or 'BBC is against us.' But no, they are reporting facts.

I'm a pucca Indian. Bombay is my home.

Indian hotels are doing well globally because they understand hospitality.

Though there is such a rich tradition of culture and arts, I have never been invited to perform at a concert in South India.

In truth, I became a conductor because deep down I wanted to conduct Brahmss four symphonies and Richard Strausss tone poems.

There are people who think I am Israeli. That's rubbish.

Most Arab Israelis speak Hebrew, but not the other way around. It's about time that changed.

I'm hopeful that Israelis can go to Ramallah whenever they want and see how the people are living.

I am an Indian, so I do yoga.