There's so much energy exchange [in conduction], so you get back a lot, of course, but you also have to give a lot. It's kind of high-energy thing.

Every day we make more progress toward understanding the concert hall.

I always felt that one day I would have to make the change in my own life, bite the bullet and see what it is to be a composer who conducts rather than the other way around.

This conducting thing happened. In 1983 I was sucked into this international career, which was a very scary experience.

In the range of music that we play - roughly 300 years' worth-there really are more similarities than differences.

The biggest difference between U.S and most European big cities is that in a place like London, for instance, there are five orchestras, and there's a bloody competition between these five orchestras.

My music wouldn't sound the way it does if I hadn't had the experience of conducting.