While I've lived in cities for most of my adult life, I really prefer the quiet, boring, mundanity of the country. It's the best place for me to work, think, and invent.

I soon realized that I didn't have a great passion for academia and I didn't like sitting in front of the computer all day. I would much prefer to be a carpenter.

You can tell when women have a sensibility about, or a sense of bravery or a sense of understanding about their personal style that's outside of what you see from a magazine.

While I've lived in cities for most of my adult life, I really prefer the quiet, boring, mundanity of the country. It's the best place for me to work, think, and invent.

As americans I think it's harder for us to have a relationship with opera because the access to it is so limited.

Opera is something you have to educate yourself about. You have to make sure you understand the stories, what was happening politically, socially during the time these things were made and how they've changed through history.

For me probably the best moment is before I get started in the morning. I get up and I ride my bike before I come into the studio, so there's a lot of peace and quiet right before the day starts and my assistants get here.