Music for Life International and American Pakistan Foundation present
Beethoven for the Indus Valley
The Concert / The Conductor / Past Concerts / The Presenters / Honorary Advisory Board
George Mathew, Artistic Director and Conductor

Singaporean-born Indian conductor, George Mathew, founder and Artistic Director of MUSIC FOR LIFE INTERNATIONAL and UBUNTU-SHRUTI, has emerged as one of the leading forces in the classical music world bringing symphonic music to focus on global humanitarian issues and crises at the beginning of the 21st Century. In 2010-11 he makes appearances in the US, India, Panama, Morocco and South Africa as conductor and ambassador for transformative action through music.

Mr. Mathew returns to Carnegie Hall on January 31, 2011 for his fourth international humanitarian concert BEETHOVEN FOR THE INDUS VALLEY, a Concert for Life and Renewal in Pakistan after the 2010 Floods. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in January 2006 as Artistic Director and Conductor of BEETHOVEN’S NINTH FOR SOUTH ASIA, a benefit concert, to raise funds and public awareness for survivors of the devastating earthquake of 2005. He appeared at Carnegie Hall in January 2007, as Artistic Director of REQUIEM FOR DARFUR, a benefit performance of the Verdi Requiem he organized together with UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow, to aid and highlight the plight of the survivors and refugees of the conflicts in Darfur and Chad. Mr. Mathew returned to Carnegie Hall in January 2009, as Artistic Director and Conductor of MAHLER FOR THE CHILDREN OF AIDS, an international humanitarian benefit concert of Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony to raise public consciousness and funds for global Pediatric AIDS and the Prevention of Mother-to-Child-Transmission of HIV.

George Mathew and these humanitarian concerts were profiled in the global media, including BBC WORLD TV and Radio, CNN International, THE WORLD on Public Radio International, the New York Times, New York magazine, Radio France, Voice of America, NY1 television, National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition and Morning Edition, the Indian Express, the Pakistan Daily Times, DNA India, Musical America and Symphony magazine. He also appears as narrator and conductor in the forthcoming documentary film on Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, FOLLOWING THE NINTH.

In March 2010, George Mathew spoke at the United Nations Development Program’s ‘Capacity IS Development’ Global Event in Marrakech, Morocco, presenting the orchestral paradigm as a new leadership model for developing institutions and capacity in the twenty-first century. In December 2010, he was a featured speaker at the INK conference held in association with TED, in Lavasa, India. He made his Central American debut in June 2010 at the Music Festival of Panama in Panama City and was immediately re-engaged for return appearances in 2012. In May 2011, he will make his African debut with the Johannesburg Philharmonic. In 2012, he will lead the world premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in Bollywood legend Javed Akhtar’s Hindustani language translation. In 2010 he was named Artistic Director and Conductor of the New Year's Eve Concert for Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, a unique concert founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1983.

In 2010 - 11 Mr. Mathew launched UBUNTU-SHRUTI a new professional training orchestra in New York City, of young empowered musicians and distinguished mentors creating inspired music and programming dedicated to immigrants, community, and education through music. The Orchestra is modeled after the Berlin Philharmonic Academy and will be mentored by distinguished musicians from the New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, MET Orchestra and L.A. Philharmonic. UBUNTU-SHRUTI made its first appearance at the 2010 New Year's Eve Concert for Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.