Nancy and Zubin Mehta offer a large donation at the Maggio. This is the largest private donation given at the Maggio

Florence, 22 January 2022 – Nancy Mehta and her husband Zubin, director emeritus for life of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, donate a large sum to the Maggio, the announcement today January 22, 2022, with the president of the Fondazione del Maggio and mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella and the superintendent of the theater, Alexander Pereira.

The mayor Nardella with the superintendent Pereira announced it during a meeting in the new auditorium, named after the famous Maestro precisely to seal the deep bond of mutual affection with the Maggio and the City and more than half a century of fruitful and intense musical partnership, cultural and personal. One million dollars in Tesla shares, this is the amount donated which represents the most important private donation reached so far at the Maggio.

Superintendent Alexander Pereira said: “When we had to name the new Auditorium it was immediate and unanimous that we thought of dedicating it to Zubin Mehta who has been linked to the Maggio for fifty years; we thought it was the right recognition for an artist like him who in the course of his life has given beauty to Florence and to the world: this room, one of the most beautiful in existence, could not be named otherwise! This tribute to Zubin greatly moved both the teacher and the beautiful heart of Nancy his wife who already had in mind to do something concrete for our Theater and therefore communicated his intention to us, which he immediately realized. We all thank you very much. I think it is certainly the largest donation made to this room – added Pereira -, but I think it is one of the largest private donations made to an institution in Italy, and certainly by an orchestra conductor who thanks a ‘ institution like that. It is such a generous and wonderful gesture, that it makes us understand how great this man is”. The mayor Dario Nardella also underlined the generosity of Nancy and Zubin Mehta as a demonstration of their bond with the Maggio and the city of Florence: “This is an extraordinary figure which I hope will also be a stimulus for others for further gestures of generous support because culture also needs philanthropy; on the contrary, I take advantage of this announcement as if to launch a challenge: since it is a donation in Tesla shares, I hope that the message can reach its destination and I ask Elon Musk to collect this gesture and to do the same for the Maggio; it would be a way of recognizing the beauty of Nancy and Zubin Mehta’s gift.”

“My wife was so moved when she learned of the title – Maestro Mehta intervened – that she decided to make part of our Tesla shares available to the theater so that the superintendent and the mayor can use them as they see fit. She had already thought she could support the Maggio but this gesture prompted her to put her project into practice. I have been here since 1961 as a guest conductor and since 1985 as musical director and now emeritus and I never expected the room to be dedicated to me; I was not expecting anything and I am also very grateful for this gift. My wife and I hope that our donation will be useful and we both hope that this will inspire others, Italians and foreigners, to donate to Maggio, Italy and Florence, and the Government to give the opportunity to deduct these sums from taxes as it happens. in America; we do it for Florence, for the Maggio and we are happy to do it; in America we have never done such a thing.”

Nancy Mehta explained the donation to the Maggio as follows: “I am so proud to be here, proud of the programming, daily and for the next few years, of the Teatro del Maggio; I am also proud and happy to be at my beloved husband’s side. The other day I was reading a book, between the pages I noted a small consideration by Henry Kissinger in which he says that history shows us that every civilization capable of protecting itself, goes on and on. When I read this statement, I actually thought about this: this theater and everything in Florence, but not only in the rest of Italy, enriches our civilization and this enlightens and supports us. And it must be protected! My husband and I were deeply moved to know that the new auditorium will have the name “Zubin Mehta”: personally I am very impulsive on some issues and, upon hearing the news, I had the instinct to donate a million dollars to the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. I waited for my husband to come home, I told him what I had thought and he was immediately enthusiastic about my idea. So, together, we decided to move on. We have thought of those who will come to this theater full of art. To those who will then bring their experience into their world, who will be touched and enriched by something they will keep forever with them. In this sense, the protection of civilization, preserving beauty and supporting it, is guaranteed for the future. This country, which I love deeply, has given my husband and me more than wonderful moments in the course of our lives; Zubin and I are really excited to be able to make this donation, hoping it will set a good example for other people and inspire them to do the same. “