Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage.

Baalbek is so beautiful. It is the heart of beauty in the Middle East - I want to embrace these people with my music. I will try so hard for them. Their president is a Christian, their prime minister is a Muslim. Music is for everyone.

It is my aim, my destination in life to make the cello as beloved an instrument as the violin and piano.

When I started learning the cello, I fell in love with the instrument because it seemed like a voice - my voice.

You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart.

There is too much emphasis on technical perfection nowadays, and not enough on what music is actually about - irony, joy, human suffering, love.

I would rather have ideas and some difficulties of technique than a perfect technique and no ideas.