The Royal Festival Hall in London is nice; people hang out there. I think this inviting, non-exclusive character is very important.

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

There was this kind of mildly annoying mythology about conductor Like biker should riding a Harley-Davidson on an LP cover, and wearing a sort of a leather suit.

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

Orchestras have become used to the emphasis on the separation of layers, of the ultimate precision and clarity.

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

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