It's a blast to watch. It's a lot more interesting live than it is on record. I mean, it really is a theatrical event. It's a sporting event! Cause you never know what's gonna happen.
The last few years I became a lot more into sports. Growing up, the sports I liked were independent sports, like skateboarding. I was really into skateboarding, and not necessarily team televised sports.
Miles Davis turned his back to the audience when he came out on stage, and he offended people. But, he wasn't there to entertain; he was all about the music. I kind of do that.
I admire Tom Ades: he's a brilliant conductor, and he gets just the right hard, brilliant sound from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for Russian music.
Brazilian music has many of the ingredients that I strive for in my own music: Strong melodies and a disciplined but intense rhythmic concept, and interesting harmonies.
I tend to not want to put labels or categories on the music, only because people come with preconceived ideas about what they're going to hear, or won't come for this reason.
Beethoven's importance in music has been principally defined by the revolutionary nature of his compositions. He freed music from hitherto prevailing conventions of harmony and structure.
Music is my only guide. I don't care if people pigeonhole me. Miles Davis is my hero. He covered Cindy Lauper and Michael Jackson, and he didn't give a hoot about what the purists said.
American sports are quite masculine. And football - although it's still played by men all over the world - football compared to American football is quite feminine in its artistry. And there's no padding. It's America's loss, though.
Everybody should have his personal sounds to listen for - sounds that will make him exhilarated and alive or quiet and calm.
Conducting! A subject, truly, concerning which much might be written, yet scarcely anything of real importance is to be found in books.
I'm very much tied to the state of Israel, but I am against their policy of settlements in Palestine.
New York is really the place to be; to go to New York, you're going to the center of the world, the lion's den.
All these people who scream about Kashmir being an armed camp are in fact responsible for keeping it that way.
I am often critical of Israel's policies when in the country, but then feel defensive of them when overseas.
I just want to play for Hindus and Muslims that sit together. That's all I want to do.
You might say that Richard Wagner was the Queen Victoria of Europe. He had musical children everywhere!
Though there is such a rich tradition of culture and arts, I have never been invited to perform at a concert in South India.
There are certainly talented instrumentalists coming from India. I see them performing all over the world.
There is a school in Israel called Hand in Hand which I support. There Arab and Jewish students study together on a daily basis.
And at the same time, I had my very first concert at the age of 16. I hadn't heard a symphony orchestra before, and I was so deeply impressed I said I have to be a conductor.
