I never studied, but I had the best teachers.

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.

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

In 1948 the first severe crash occurred in my life when Stalin put out his decree on formalism. There was a bulletin board in the Moscow Conservatory. They posted the decree, which said Shostakovichs compositions and Prokofievs were no longer to be played.

People are craving this great progress in electronics, going after computers, the Internet, etc. It's a giant progress technologically. But they must have a balance of soul, a balance for human beauty. That means art has an important role.

I never studied, but I had the best teachers.