For me to rehearse with a children's orchestra a Mahler symphony was to really work. We had three or four weeks of rehearsal with the orchestra, every day eight or nine hours, putting the First together. I had been conducting Tchaikovsky a lot and Beethoven, but Mahler was different.

In my imagination yes, I remember, when I was six years old, I was conducting all this concert in my house. But now it's real.

The challenge is not so much to change the sound. The challenge is to connect and to create something special.

My material life is simple.

With an orchestra you are building citizens, better citizens for the community.

I wanted to play my violin and have my musical expression through the instrument. But then I was really young when I had my first opportunity to conduct.

I want to work with the big orchestras. I want to have a big family.