I don't have hobbies. I have passions.

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.

I have always regarded manual labour as creative and looked with respect-and, yes, wonder-at people who work with their hands. It seems to me that their creativity is no less than that of a violinist or painter.

The first thing to do in life is to do with purpose what one purposes to do.

The only weapons I ever had were my cello and my baton.

Parents shouldn't lie to their children-not even when they think it's for their own good. Even a little lie is dangerous.

I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.