A music director cannot and should not be chosen on the basis of a first date. It is not so difficult to make a good impression with a single appearance, usually containing some of a conductor's party pieces, works they have performed successfully many times before.

I've come to the conclusion that a long personal relationship is next to impossible for me. Ultimately, music is a possessive mistress.

We need music to restore the human spirit

People know Detroit for the cars, but the suburban areas of the city are really beautiful. It's much more inhabitable than people think. Many believe it's like Berlin at the end of World War II.

There is no 'perfect' in music. If I ever came off the stage and felt it could not be better, it would then be time to quit.

I knew I could never match my father as a violinist, and there were already four generations of outstanding cellists in the family.

The convergence of the Rhone and Saone. Paul Bocuse. The birthplace of cinema. Chateauneuf-du-Pape just a few miles down the road. It does not get much better than Lyon.