Andris Nelsons Quotes

Andris Nelsons

Profession : Composer

Birth : November 18, 1978

Conducting is about communication. You don't play any notes, but you communicate with the musicians.

Andris Nelsons

It's so important which musicians we choose for being in the orchestra.

Andris Nelsons

It's a dream to be its conductor. Sometimes I think, 'My God, I can't believe it.' It's a dream which came true.

Andris Nelsons

I know that Boston is one of the great centers of intellectual culture as well as sport. It's one of the centers of America, with a great orchestra, great sports, great hospitals, and great universities.

Andris Nelsons

The two most important things is, one, the music in my life, and the family. It's somehow connected because music is about human beings, about love, about hate, about everything that happens in life.

Andris Nelsons

You must take care of your family, respect the music, and work intensely. Health and family come first, and then you can make much better music.

Andris Nelsons

We can understand each other with music without words - and that's so important in these times when walls are built. In music, there are no walls.

Andris Nelsons

It might be expensive to make music lessons available. But it's even more costly to deal with human beings who have half their intellect and spirit left undeveloped.

Andris Nelsons

I want to take the great tradition of the orchestra within me, to take what the orchestra offers.

Andris Nelsons

You don't have to make a grand, exaggerated sound to sing opera.

Andris Nelsons

Though involvement in music and the arts can't cure all the ills of society, I do believe that the inspiration they provide has the potential to help us reflect, at times, on the better angels of our natures.

Andris Nelsons

Music goes beyond nationalities - it's a language which you can understand in any country.

Andris Nelsons

The Soviet Union had only one party. You couldn't express yourself freely; you couldn't admit belief in God. And yet this terrible regime understood that human beings have to express themselves, through music, even at a bad level. All kids studied music automatically, just as they did maths or languages or sport.

Andris Nelsons

People talk very much about, 'What can we do with the orchestra in the 21st century?' We should think about the 21st century, of course.

Andris Nelsons

You have a great result if the orchestra trusts the conductor, and the conductor trusts the orchestra.

Andris Nelsons

I think first thing and the most important thing, for me, is that Boston becomes my musical home, my musical family.

Andris Nelsons

I think 'Rheingold' has symbolic meaning of what happens in the world when you're running after the Rhine gold, after the gold. It doesn't end very well. It's kind of a reminder of the values of life, and I think 'The Ring,' in a way, is kind of a prediction of Wagner of what would happen in the world.

Andris Nelsons

The music of Bach is so timeless, so fulfilling. You don't feel like you have to be in front of it. The music has everything, and you are there to find the balance when you conduct. You don't have to give too much of your individuality. It's Bach, so it's dangerous to get in the way.

Andris Nelsons

Shostakovich was one of the great symphonists of all time, and maybe the last great symphonist.

Andris Nelsons

Bernstein was everywhere - Vienna, London - and everyone admired him. Of course he loved Boston, and he did so many great things at Tanglewood. He was the best example of what a conductor should be.

Andris Nelsons