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

I like coming to the United States because the United States played an important role in my life.

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

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

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.

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.

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