Finding fresh magic in Aida

Mehta is also enthusiastic about how his new Aida will look on stage, thanks to 84-year-old Italian set designer Ezio Frigerio, who has been active in the opera world for six decades and has worked with Mehta since 1969. His design for the movie Cyrano de Bergerac won him an Oscar nomination in 1991.

In the last few years, Mehta has conducted some great international orchestras at NCPA's concert hall, but this is the first time he's working with NCPA's opera production team.

"I'm very impressed with the orchestra. They've never played Aida before and it's not an easy score to play. During the rehearsals they have improved incredibly."

"The orchestra is on its way to be a great one. They have still so many young members. They are talented, very quick-learning and just lacking in experience."

"The chorus is also being developed. It has a long way to go," he says, expressing hope that a full-time chorus master can work with them in the future.

Since his first visit to China in 1994－and since he famously did Turandot with director Zhang Yi-mou at the Forbidden City in 1999－Mehta says, he finds "incredible changes".