Since I'm allergic to various things, the army wouldn't accept me during the war, and I got into the Office of War Information, which sent music to Europe.

The first thing that struck me about contemporary music in general had been thatthere was not much interest in rhythm.

Almost every one of my various zero numbered birthdays has had a big concert in London and often in Paris.

Aaron Copland was a man that had a very specific point of view about what music should be which was that, he felt that new music should have the composer should show a personality in his music.

The Quartets have been a major part of my work.

Right at the end of the war I wrote a piano sonata, which was written at a time when Sam Barber used to come down here and we used to have lunch together in a very nice old hotel that's now not there.

Why write for the orchestra? For one thing it's a very challenging problem.