A THANK YOU LETTER TO ZUBIN MEHTA

Dear Zubin,

I want to say a few words on behalf of all the Orchestra members, past and present, and their families.

After so much have been said in the past few weeks, I simply want to say thank you.

Thank you for what you have done for our orchestra our lives and the cultural life of Israel.

Zubin, you are a source of admiration and inspiration for us in so many ways. I can only name a few.

One of them is your total commitment to  your responsibilities as music director. On top of taking us on tours all over the world, you came to Israel three times every season. You planned our subscription programs from scratch year after year, invited soloists and conductors, and attended hundreds of auditions, meetings and fund raising events. You did all that and also managed to be there for Orchestra members in times of need.

You gave this institution a third of your life, when we are fully aware that you could have chosen to conduct anywhere else in the world. But you chose us – and for that we are most grateful.  I can only hope that we gave back to you a fraction of what you gave us.

You also inspired us in how you handled yourself in the past two years, conducting us even when you didn’t feel your best. Your commitment did not diminish—in fact, quite the contrary. You were as involved in every big decision or small detail.

What I’ve learned from you personally in the 11 years I’ve been in the organization is how powerful it is to think positively and be optimistic. You always expect that things will turn out for the best, and they have.

But most inspiring was the music that we played together.  We will always cherish those times and moments, and never forget it.

I want to wish you, Nancy and the family lots of happiness and good health. You surely already know how much we love you and that we feel part of your family. Please don’t let us miss you for too long.

-Yoel Abadi, horn player and Chairman of the Orchestra