The conductor's stand is not a continent of power, but rather an island of solitude.
A conductor should guide rather than command.
You have to channel the interpretation and performance into 100 people. And with the audience, the critics.
It is extraordinary to have time to again study Le nozze di Figaro and discover new things.
You have to be able to enthral and persuade at the same time.
Music does not know the difference between people; it only speaks to their hearts. It is the only form of communication that can bring this terrible world together.