Being an American musician means being adventurous. Michael Tilson Thomas adventurousamericanmean Change image and share on social
Extreme volume in music very often disguises a lack of actually important content. Michael Tilson Thomas contentdisguiseextreme Change image and share on social
Being a conductor is kind of a hybrid profession because most fundamentally, it is being someone who is a coach, a trainer, an editor, a director. Michael Tilson Thomas coachconductordirector Change image and share on social
I can't do pieces I only admire technically. I have to feel some direct contact with them. Michael Tilson Thomas admirecontactdirect Change image and share on social
If we are able to get inside the music and inhabit it convincingly enough, it will cause everyone to find each other in this new psychological space. And that's most exciting. Michael Tilson Thomas convincinglyexcitfind Change image and share on social
But if I can be convinced and then through the work that we do together, the orchestra can really be convinced of the big sweep of that communication that the piece suggests, then the audience will get it and it will be a good experience for all of us. Michael Tilson Thomas audiencebigcommunication share on social
But you know in the contemporary art world, you pose a very interesting conundrum. All sorts of people collect very contemporary art, yet when it comes to the music which is analogous to that sort of art, they are not interested, or perhaps even hostile. Michael Tilson Thomas analogousartcollect share on social
In earlier times, so many people sang much more. You know as a kid you'd go to some kind of religious training and or summer camp or whatever it was and you'd learn to sing a lot of songs. Michael Tilson Thomas campearlykid Change image and share on social
They are representations of many shared hours of collaboration between us all. That's the real nature of the relationship the orchestra and I are trying to build. Michael Tilson Thomas buildcollaborationhour Change image and share on social