As a young boy, Mervon Mehta had dreams of playing defence for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. Which helps explain why the Mason & Hamlin baby grand in his midtown Toronto home is seldom played.
Childhood music lessons were an “annoyance,” he recalls, and he ended up playing the piano rather badly. Ditto the violin that he tried later. Because he can’t play an instrument, Mehta doesn’t consider himself a musician. But he’s been immersed in music throughout his life and career, leading him to become executive director of performing arts for the Royal Conservatory, a position he’s held since 2009. As such, he’s responsible for programming Koerner Hall’s popular series of classical, jazz, world music and pop concerts. He also oversees performances and events throughout the Conservatory’s Bloor St. W. home at the Telus Centre for Performance and Learning.
In his words, he’s “surrounded by live music at work 24 hours a day.” During a recent sold-out recital at Koerner Hall, he was mesmerized by acclaimed pianist Sir András Schiff’s interpretation of works by Bach, Beethoven, Schubert and other masters. This built-in front-row seat to top musical performances is part of the reason Mehta doesn’t have a sound system in his own home.
“Am I gonna go home and flip on a record of somebody else? No.”
His work office, however, boosts a sound system he inherited from his grandfather, a conductor. Mehta was born into a musical family: His father is world-renowned conductor Zubin Mehta; his mother is singer Carmen Mehta, a Royal Conservatory alumna. Many years ago, he sang professionally, including a stint at an NYC nightclub as a young adult, performing R&B, Elton John and Billy Joel tunes. He also acted in dozens of stage productions and in several TV and film roles, but the curtain came down on that aspect of his career in the arts decades ago.
Mehta’s lifelong love of music has served him well, even as a teenager in Montreal where he grew up. “I was the guy who did all the music for the parties in people’s basements,” he recalls, adding he would often sneak in a taste of jazz and classical, which his peers thought was “mildly cool.”
These days, Mehta’s own “utilitarian but comfy basement” is music-free, filled instead with the sounds of sports events on TV or conversations with his wife Carey Suleiman, executive director of a non-profit social enterprise that works with neurodiverse adults.
The overall esthetic of the home his family has occupied for 16 years is one of “comfy elegance,” says Mehta, parent with Suleiman of a 22-year-old son named Zed. He calls it his sanctuary, where he retreats to after working 12 to 14 hours on concert days.
The renovated main floor is spacious, bright and inviting with sight lines from the front door to the back.
“It’s not a fancy house,” he notes, explaining that comfort is key. In fact, the couple recently went on a long search to find just the right pair of living room chairs for settling into with a good book or for sharing a cup of tea together.
The living room is also home to a leather couch, where their poodle, Lucy, staked her claim long ago, and a fireplace with a portrait of his father, who is still working at the age of 89. The piano that occupies what would otherwise be the dining room was a gift from his mother.
“It’s a lovely piece, a very good piano,” says the non-instrumentalist, who’d like to give it to someone “who’ll use it properly.”
Though music isn’t played at in the home, it’s reflected everywhere. Artwork on the main floor includes an autographed, sepia-toned picture of late violinist Yascha Heifetz and an oil painting of a violinist that was a wedding gift. (Suleiman was a violinist for many years.) The basement is home to a small collection of African drums that Mehta acquired as gifts or during his travels.
While they don’t have the space to entertain, except outdoors in warm weather, Mehta once likened public concerts to his own imaginary house parties where he welcomes thousands. In real life, he makes a point of greeting audience members during intermission. Primarily behind the scenes handling everything from booking talent to logistical details, Mehta can also be seen centre stage, introducing performers and occasionally appearing with orchestras or chamber ensembles.
At the beginning of his tenure in 2009 when he moved to Toronto from Philadelphia where the family had been living, he oversaw the launch of Koerner Hall. He was given the “huge gift (of) a blank slate,” which allowed him to create a hub for Toronto and Canada where an international roster of artists from all music genres would perform. Whether it was a DJ or a banjo player, they had to be “excellent” at their craft, says Mehta, a 2025 recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his impact on Canada’s cultural landscape.
He’s particularly excited about the current season’s upcoming highlights, ranging from trumpeter Jens Lindemann to singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi, both appearing in late January.
For his part, Mehta looks back on his career thus far with no regrets about his unfulfilled hockey hopes. But he does wish his parents had been more insistent about sticking with those piano lessons.
