Michael Tilson Thomas

“I've always been interested in the way music reflects the times in which it's created.”

“The wonderful thing about music is that it helps you to connect with yourself.”

“Music is a language that doesn't speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it's in the bones, it's in the bones.”

“The role of the conductor is to make it possible for the orchestra to sound like themselves.”

“Great music is great music. It doesn't matter what genre it is.”

“Classical music is this immense treasure of human experience.”

“The arts are the soul of the country.”

“You have to have a vision. You have to have a dream. And you have to be willing to work for it.”

“The most important thing is to listen. Listening is the beginning of all understanding.”

“For me, conducting is a way of being in the music, of being part of the music.”

“Teaching is one of the most important things I do. It’s about passing on a tradition.”

“My job is to be the advocate for the composer.”

“I’m interested in things that are new and challenging, things that take you out of your comfort zone.”

“To be a musician is a great privilege. It's a way of serving humanity.”

“There's something about the live performance that can't be replicated.”

“Every performance is a new journey.”

“The goal is always to get to the heart of the music.”