One of the most important elements in teaching, conducting, and performing, all three, is listening.

Sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.

Just imagine yourself in a wheelchair. Go through the building. If there's a place you can't go in, it's not accessible.

You decide to be a musician, you have to put in the time.

Child prodigy is a curse because you've got all those terrible possibilities.

I'm now doing three things: concerts, conducting, and teaching, and they each support each other. I learn to see things from different perspectives and listen with different ears. The most important thing that you need to do is really listen.

I don't feel that the conductor has real power. The orchestra has the power, and every member of it knows instantaneously if you're just beating time.