The virtuoso element in jazz playing, all those very fast runs in the upper extremes, simply doesn't appeal to me. That's why I don't want to make my concerto "virtuosic" in the sense of a technical show-off. I want a beautiful sound and a melodic and lyrical line. I am more interested in the way someone can play musically.

As I had collaborated with visual artists before whether on installations, on performance pieces, in the context of theatre works and as I had taught for a time in art colleges the idea of writing music in response to painting was not alien.

One thing I'm doing on the new Titanic recording is actually bringing in different acoustic spaces.

Craft is part of the creative process.

Similarly you can make a transition from one set of instruments to another imperceptibly.

I know that John Adams has had a very hard time directing French ensembles.

People like Arvo Part would not have been taken seriously 20 years ago.