Music must serve a purpose; it must be a part of something larger than itself, a part of humanity.

There is no substitute for work; what seems ease of performance comes from the greatest labor.

Bach is the supreme genius of music... This man, who knows everything and feels everything, cannot write one note, however unimportant it may appear, which is anything but transcendent. He has reached the heart of every noble thought, and has done it in the most perfect way.

Resist doing things that have no meaning for life.

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe; a moment that never was before and never will be again.

To live is not enough; we must take part.

The art of not playing in tempo--one has to learn it. And the art of not playing what is written on the printed paper.