Striking notes

Conductor Zubin Mehta, who celebrated his 70th birthday this year, is one of the five honourees set to receive the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors.

Mehta, along with his fellow honourees, film director Steven Spielberg, musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and singer-songwriters Dolly Parton and Smokey Robinson will pick up their honours at a State Department dinner hosted by Condoleeza Rice on Dec. 2, to be followed the next day by a meet-and-greet with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House.

"This year, we honour five extraordinary international artists whose abundant contributions to their fields are remarkable. They have transformed the culture of our country and of the world," Eonline! quoted Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman as saying.

The Indian-born classical composer kicked off his career in the 1960s conducting the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics, and has since served as musical director of the Montreal Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, leading the latter for 13 years, marking the longest tenure by a maestro in the position. — ANI

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