Our audience, it has been a more difficult process for classical music audiences around the world, and I'm not completely certain why.

Once you get over the first hill, there is always a new, higher one lurking, of course.

There will have to be times when I'm not conducting because I'm composing. I haven't solved that problem, and perhaps I never will.

Orchestras have become used to the emphasis on the separation of layers, of the ultimate precision and clarity.

As we watch TV or films, there are no organic transitions, only edits. The idea of A becoming B, rather than A jumping to B, has become foreign.

The act of conducting in itself, of waving my arms in the air and being in charge, I didn't miss. I missed the sensual pleasure of being in contact with music.

My music wouldn't sound the way it does if I hadn't had the experience of conducting.

Pulse as an active means of expression, Stravinsky and Beethoven are the two masters of that.

This conducting thing happened. In 1983 I was sucked into this international career, which was a very scary experience.

I discovered that the people of the North are different and there's no way you can make a person from the North similar to a Southerner. They're two different worlds.

I feel very free and very happy to be a composer.

Who misses what they have never, ever even imagined?

Men had suddenly become a scarce commodity, if not quite as sought after as rice.

Passion trumps fear

Some people are born to hold keys, while others are born to use them.

Good things have different colors, it’s like a rainbow or flowers and it’s more likely how I feel for my love ones that creates a joyous melody in my heart.How it makes me feel happy and alive

And thank you for saying all of that, and for loving me, for you haven't gone unloved, or unadmired, yourself.

There is a little bit of hubris to want to change the past. It implies that you know better - that things didn't happen the way that they were supposed to.

wherever there's laughter, there is heaven

We had 10 years after the Cold War to build a new world order and yet we squandered them. The United States cannot tolerate anyone acting independently. Every US president has to have a war.

I will not serve Allah like a laborer, in expectation of my wages.