What I never overcame is a kind of shyness.

Young conductors who are confident enough, they very often have success.

I always imagined that to bring an orchestra to play together is not enough for a conductor.

If every school would hire two more music teachers, we would need two fewer police officers.

And I always tried to be not a star. To be someone who people like to talk to.

As I came to New York, it was for me a new beginning. To discover what people are living here. What do they need, what do they expect, what would they like to be the image and the performance of the New York Philharmonic?

An orchestra full of stars can be a disaster.