For years, I had no time for exploratory travel.

It is our responsibility to learn how to speak to an audience that is less informed about music, to give it a reason to want to come and see us instead of going to the movies.

I've always been inspired by artists who have shown musical and intellectual curiosity and the courage to take risks.

Having to travel so much plays havoc with your personal life.

I think opera has gained a kind of glamorous appeal. It's a live performance that aligns all of the arts, and when it is represented in the media, in film in particular, it is presented as something that is really a special event, whether it's a great date or something that's just hugely romantic.

I enjoy the more floaty, exposed, elegant singing.

Singers can also get away with a lot based on youth, strength and enthusiasm, only to find ten years later that what was once just a niggling problem has brought their careers to an end.