Conducting Quotes

“I'm not interested in having an orchestra sound like itself. I want it to sound like the composer.”

“The conductor's main job is to get the orchestra to want to play for you.”

“My job is to be a channel for the composer's intentions.”

“A lot of people think a pops conductor just waves a stick, but it’s a lot harder than conducting a symphony.”

“The score is not a bible, but it is the testament of the composer.”

“A conductor must be a despot, but a benevolent one.”

“The orchestra is an instrument, and you must know how to play it.”

“A conductor has to be a catalyst; he has to make things happen.”

“Every conductor has a different idea of what a piece is.”

“There are many, many conductors who are much better technicians than I am.”

“I'm not a dictator. I'm a collaborator.”

“The score is the bible.”

“I try to let the music speak for itself.”

“Conducting is a strange profession. It's a silent art.”

“My father was a conductor, and I am a conductor. But I conduct with my body, my voice, my hands.”

“To be a conductor one must be a tyrant, but a nice one.”

“I'm not interested in having an orchestra sound like itself. I want it to sound like the composer.”

“Conducting is a real sport. You can't conduct for a long time if you're not in good shape.”

“The orchestra is an instrument, and you have to know how to play it.”

“I don't think a conductor should be a dictator. I think a conductor should be a catalyst.”