My father is a violinist and my mother is a pianist, so I've been hearing music all my life. I started playing at three and had my first music teacher at five.

To me, the advantage of the recorder is that it is so natural. I love the fact that it is just a piece of wood, that there are almost no mechanics involved.

Each composer has their own language, and I try to meet the challenges, even if at first sight, they appear impossible.

Composers often think in terms of music and not of an instrument itself.

It is important to note that the world changes and that perception of music changes as well.

Denmark is, of course is very much like Germany: in terms of culture, the same kind of thinking, etc.

I've always been very inspired by people who can make their instrument sound very natural.

Looking for inspiration in expression, I have actually always looked to singers and violinists. I have never really looked only at the recorder as a remedy for my expressions.

You need to express things stronger today, more so than in the Baroque time, and you need to expand the expressiveness of the instrument.

Many people used to call me a child prodigy, but I never thought that. I knew that I had learned everything, that I had very good circumstances.

Of course, the recorder will never have the repertoire of the piano or the violin.

With high hope and optimism, start swimming with time.

A million possible endearments ran through his head. But he said, “Help.

The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.

You have to, in some ways, trust in the human spirit and in human ingenuity.

The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles - preferably of his own making - in order to triumph.

It's exciting for me to see [Laura Bush] busy and out there enjoying what she's doing. But we always make time to be with each other as well.

They say that when you're the champs, everybody will try to beat you. Well, I'm glad we're champs, so bring'em on, bring'em all on. If we die, we ain't gonna die running. It's gonna be a fight.

Of all the frictional resistances, the one that most retards human movement is ignorance.

If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn't. Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism.

You are much surer that you are doing good when you pay money to those who work, as the recompense of their labor, than when you give money merely in charity.