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

I'll know I'm reaching the total American market when I'm asked to do a video for MTV.

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.

The conductor is the artistic leader and sometimes cultural arbiter of his or her community. It is their leadership that is looked to and should anything go wrong, they are the persons taking most of the heat.

We need music to restore the human spirit

Randy Newman and I grew up together in Los Angeles. We are both products of the film studio era. Randy is one of the great songwriters of our time and one of the fun people to be with.

My first strong musical memory is of the Villa-Lobos Sixth Quartet which my parents were rehearsing. I remember that it reminded me of big teddy bears dancing around.