I use my hands like a sculptor, to mold and shape the sound I want, to clarify.

Over the years it has been my privilege to lead performances with Saint Louis, the National Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and so many other wonderful organizations.

The life of any musician really doesn't fall into a normal schedule at all. Every week there are different rehearsals, different days and nights of performances, so we don't have a particular pattern that we can follow. For a conductor, it is a little bit worse because we have to allow for traveling.

Growing up in Hollywood, like I did, I have a passion and a love for the movies, so I go to the cinema all the time.

How could a New Yorker possibly take something called the Hollywood String Quartet seriously?

An orchestra knows during the first two minutes of the first rehearsal whether or not they are going to enjoy the person on the podium.

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