Zubin Mehta was born in Bombay and trained with his father, Mehli Mehta, founder of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra. He began studying medicine, but left at the age of eighteen to attend the Wiener Musikakademie. After seven years, he conducted both the Berliner and Wiener Philharmoniker and quickly became one of the world's most sought-after conductors, holding positions such as Conductor of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bayerische Staatsoper. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra appointed him Music Advisor in 1969, Music Conductor in 1977 and Music Conductor for life in 1981.

Between concerts, recordings and tours, Zubin Mehta and the IPO have performed hundreds of times on all five continents. His long association with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino culminated in 2006 with his appointment as Conductor for life. The long list of honours bestowed on him includes honorary citizenship of Florence and Tel Aviv, the "Nikisch-Ring" of the Vienna Philharmonic, the United Nations "Peace and Tolerance Prize", the Kennedy Center Honor; in 2001 President Chirac made him a Knight of the Legion of Honor and in 2008 he was awarded the Imperial Premium of the Japan Art Association. He is an honorary citizen of Florence and Tel Aviv and an honorary member of the Wiener Staatsoper, the Bayerische Staatsoper and the Gesellshaft der Musikfreunde Wien.

The publication in 2006 of his autobiography, The Score of My Life, received widespread acclaim. With his brother Zarin he chairs the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation in Bombay, where over 200 children receive a musical education.