Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.

Let us not forget that the greatest composers were also the greatest thieves. They stole from everyone and everywhere.

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

For me, Bach is like Shakespeare. He has known all and felt all. He is everything.

Don't play the notes. Play the meaning of the notes.

Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.

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