I think singing is one of the most natural things that human beings do, but it's difficult.

So much can be gained from watching other singers, seeing what they do and what they don't do, seeing how they look when they breathe, how wide they open their mouths for a high note.

I was always a very good student.

In a sense, it's less about seeing how high up I can vault than about seeing how deeply I can explore my potential...Ambition for me is about the willingness to work, the ability to mine my own soul fearlessly.

Perfection often creates such a flawless surface that there's no place for the audience to enter into a piece, while the idiosyncrasies of individual style are like windows into the singer's heart.

I am so envious of my colleagues from 100 years ago who only sang new works, they hardly ever sang revivals.

I haven't really been able to transfer into that extraordinarily other worldly creature, other than I hope on stage.