Talking about a materialistic thing, I get about 13 times more royalties from Europe than I do from America.

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.

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.

Silences between movements are employed only in order to bring the opposing duo to the fore.

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

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

Yes, I get a report from BMI about the frequency of performances, and it is very surprising. They played one of my most advanced pieces, and one of my most unusual ones on the radio.