But without the experience of actually singing or playing these things yourself, you don't have the same kind of involvement or understanding of what these musical moves mean. And that is a very big problem in addressing the future of music.

A conundrum of music is that music brings people together, yet to become a skilled musician involves a certain amount of lonely time in which you're just figuring it out, practicing.

When I first was conducting as guest conductor in Europe 25 years ago, I would propose doing American pieces and grudgingly it would be accepted from time to time.

They are representations of many shared hours of collaboration between us all. That's the real nature of the relationship the orchestra and I are trying to build.

Thank God for movie music. It preserves the rich vocabulary in classical music through challenging times.

This extraordinary group has absolutely captivated my imagination, knocked my socks off - what more can I say?

If you're curious, if you have a capacity for wonder, if you're alive, you know all that you need to know [about music].