If you're a good composer, you steal good steals.

When I am with composers, I say I am a conductor. When I am with conductors, I say I am a composer.

I believe that from that Earth emerges a musical poetry, which is by the nature of its sources tonal. I believe that these sources cause to exist a phonology of music, which evolves from the universal known as the harmonic series.

I believe in people. I feel, love, need and respect people above all else, including natural scenery, organized piety and nationalistic superstructures. One human figure on the slope of a mountain can make the mountain disappear for me, one person fighting for truth can disqualify for me the entire system which had dispensed it.

Life without music is unthinkable. Life without music is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace.

Mozart's music is constantly escaping from its frame, because it cannot be contained in it.

Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution - the 60's comes from it.