If you're alive, you have all the experience necessary to understand classical music.
Michael Tilson ThomasPart of my mission is simply that: to bring the world of the arts, particularly classical music, closer to people so they don't feel that it is something remote that they have to specially prepare themselves for, or dress up for.
Michael Tilson ThomasThe way you survive in the performing arts is by having a sense of your audience, and doing things which entertain and satisfy the audience, but in a more important way, cause the audience to question many things.
Michael Tilson ThomasThank God for movie music. It preserves the rich vocabulary in classical music through challenging times.
Michael Tilson ThomasI have a strange situation as far as my name is concerned, because of course, what should my name really be? Is it my traditional Jewish name? Or this curious name my parents put together, partially to honor departed family members, and partially to keep me away from the absolute craziness of my grandparents' fame and the intrusiveness of their fans? So many people call me "MTT," and some do say, "Oh Maestro," and some are comfortable calling me Michael.
Michael Tilson Thomas