I always write the pieces I want to write.

I think music has gone through a period of something very severe, rather radical, rather the way painting did with cubism.

My operas and my theatre works are very formal pieces.

I'm not an architectural composer.

When I was confronted with official tuition, the academic thing, I could see no relationship whatever between that and the music I'd been writing since I was 11.

The piece that had a large influence on me was Turangalila.

I didn't have a record player.