The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?

The truly important things in life - love, beauty, and one's own uniqueness - are constantly being overlooked.

The earth becomes heaven when you release your fear. The main thing in life is not to be afraid of being human.

Throughout my career, nervousness and stage-fright have never left me before playing. And each of the thousands of concerts I have played at, I feel as bad as I did the very first time.

You do not lose your value or preciousness when you grow to be a adult. You are still that miraculous creation. You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.

Thank God, I'll never have to play the cello again.

Real understanding does not come from what we learn in books; it comes from what we learn from love of nature, of music, of man. For only what is learned in that way is truly understood.