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.

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

I don't believe in an annual dose of film music for the sake of it being film music. If we program film music, it will be because there is a real artistic reason for doing so.

When we're at the end of The Rite of Spring or of a Bruckner symphony, I want people to feel the music physically.

In the range of music that we play - roughly 300 years' worth-there really are more similarities than differences.