I really would like to be involved in things and to understand things, and in some ways you've got to be careful what you wish for because I feel very, very blessed to have such an interesting life and to be able to have little snapshots of lives of people from many different parts of the world.

My teacher, my great cello teacher Leonard Rose, was such a great cellist, and nurturing man, very patient. But I grew up not only admiring him, but obviously Casals, Rostrotovich, Jacqueline du Pre, and many others, including many of my peers and contemporaries.

Once something is memorable, it's living and you're using it. That to me is the foundation of a creative society.

Bach takes you to a very quiet place within yourself, to the inner core, a place where you are calm and at peace.

Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks.

Music is one of the ways we can achieve a kind of shorthand to understand each other.

You go through phases. You have to reinvent reasons for playing, and one year's answer might not do for another.