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

As we watch TV or films, there are no organic transitions, only edits. The idea of A becoming B, rather than A jumping to B, has become foreign.

Every orchestra I know, every opera house I know, is desperately looking around trying to find new talent, new composing talent, supporting young composers, supporting new ideas, supporting new ways of getting the message across.

I actually don't like this term, "classic." It's wrong, but we don't have a better word at the moment.

With American orchestras, in particular, because they play in such huge halls, getting a true pianissimo is very hard.

I started conducting lessons and I realized that this is actually something I like doing.

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.