My relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra brought me many times to London and I will always reflect positively on that early period of development with them - their patience, their warmth, their dedication.

Classical music in Venezuela is now something like a pop concert. You can see people screaming or crying because they don't have a ticket.

I set out to create a means whereby music could be a way of vindicating the rights of the masses.

It's not that people don't like classical music. It's that they don't have the chance to understand and to experience it.

My relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra brought me many times to London and I will always reflect positively on that early period of development with them - their patience, their warmth, their dedication.

My material life is simple.

Recently, I went to a disco with friends, and all the young people were saying, 'Dudamel, we want to go to your concert, but it's impossible because it's sold out.' It's really amazing.