I've learned a lot from the masters of orchestration, like Ravel and Stravinsky.

Somehow, conductor as this superhuman conduit between the masters and the masterpieces and the immortals.

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

I can't imagine how many first performances I've done, perhaps 500. Some of them have been very good, and some of course very bad.

There will have to be times when I'm not conducting because I'm composing. I haven't solved that problem, and perhaps I never will.

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

If I were in a position to announce a public competition to coin a new word, I would do so right now.