It's necessary to track characters all the way through an opera. If you're dealing with more than one or two characters, it's very easy to forget that the others have lives of their own that feed into the story.

When I've seen my operas in Europe, they have always struck me as more American than when I hear them here. I can't tell you what that phenomenon is.

I've never set out consciously to write American music. I don't know what that would be unless the obvious Appalachian folk references.

I had all the normal interests - I played basketball and I headed the school paper. But I also developed very early a great love for music and literature and the theater.

It's necessary to track characters all the way through an opera. If you're dealing with more than one or two characters, it's very easy to forget that the others have lives of their own that feed into the story.

America tends to worship the modest talent because it doesn't put us in an uncomfortable position vis-a-vis the artist.

I was encouraged by my mother and, to a lesser extent, by my father.