The greatest challenge is the first attempt at composing every next work: inevitably I ask myself ‘Do I have something to say with this work? Are these notes relevant to the human condition of today?’
Interviews with musicians, composers and conductors
The greatest challenge is the first attempt at composing every next work: inevitably I ask myself ‘Do I have something to say with this work? Are these notes relevant to the human condition of today?’
The moments when I’m on the podium, making music, and diving into a piece, connecting with all the musicians – those are the most rewarding and fulfilling aspects of being a conductor for me.
I love music that makes me feel so completely immersed and joyful that nothing else in that moment really matters. Music that takes you on a journey and can completely alter your mindset. As a composer, I suppose those attributes have started to seep into how I put a big emphasis on melody.
To be taken seriously as a musician or composer, you must always create the best quality music possible, and never settle. A composer never “arrives”, only to rest on their laurels. You traverse various stylistic phases, only to seek a whole new set of challenges.
Making something sound exactly how I want it to.