Los Angeles is just a more open place. The way L.A. functions is that people give you a forum. They say, Show us what you can do.

Once you get over the first hill, there is always a new, higher one lurking, of course.

In Europe, there is so much tradition, and everyone has established ideas as to what art should be and what it has always been.

There is something very special about this part of the world [U.S], which is the openness and the curiosity and the lack of prejudice and the lack of generally accepted norms as to what art should be and how an artist's career should go and all that.

There is more openness in LA to possibilities than on the East Coast of America. There is a pioneering spirit there that stems from the reason people went out there in the first place-to find something new.

The philharmonic became such a journey and adventure in my life, and a deeply satisfying thing.

I'm still disturbed if a chord isn't together, but your priorities change as you get older.