Whether a piece is commissioned or not, the challenge is always the same: to write something that I feel I would enjoy listening to as an audience member. A lot of music gets discarded because it does not pass that test.

Interviews with musicians, composers and conductors
Whether a piece is commissioned or not, the challenge is always the same: to write something that I feel I would enjoy listening to as an audience member. A lot of music gets discarded because it does not pass that test.
To be unique, believe in the power of music, love music irrevocably, try to understand what music people enjoy and not to just follow trends and, last but not least, be maximally objective in what one can achieve – these are the things I would pass on to aspiring musicians.