I came to Moscow when I was 5 years old from Baku. To walk all night in Moscow will bring back my youth to me.

Explain to me, please, why in our literature and art so often people absolutely incompetent in this field have the final word.

The cello is a hero because of its register - its tenor voice. It is a masculine instrument, whereas the violin is feminine because of its soprano pitch. When the cello enters in the Dvorak Concerto, it is like a great orator.

I never studied, but I had the best teachers.

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

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

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