With American orchestras, in particular, because they play in such huge halls, getting a true pianissimo is very hard.

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

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

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

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

Anyone who composes and conducts at the same time is immediately suspect, because he must be faking one or the other.