Conductor Quotes · Page 3

Conductors must give unmistakable and suggestive signals to the orchestra, not choreography to the audience.

— George Szell

The intensity of being in front of all these incredible musicians and tremendous conductors in these elaborate halls can be overwhelming.

— Idina Menzel

“It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light.”

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The awful thing about a conductor becoming geriatric is that you seem to become more desirable, not less.

— Neville Marriner

The brain is a little saline pool that acts as a conductor, and it runs on electricity.

— Judith Hooper

In truth, I became a conductor because deep down I wanted to conduct Brahms's four symphonies and Richard Strauss's tone poems.

— Zubin Mehta

As a child I wanted to be a ballerina, ice-cream van owner, wife of George Michael, a nun, and a music conductor.

— Erin O'Connor

Music is the thousandth of a millisecond between one note and another; how you get from one to the other-that's where the…

— Isaac Stern

I prefer it when the conductor follows me. It is more difficult to work with a conductor who does not listen -…

— Anna Netrebko

I guess, as a conductor, one goes in and out of fashion. Your career starts with a bang, everyone thinks you're wonderful,…

— Jeffrey Tate

I was at La Fenice opera house back in 1991 with friends, and we started talking about a conductor whom none of…

— Donna Leon

A lot of entrepreneurs let ego get in the way. You've got to be the conductor. You can't play all the instruments…

— Bill Rancic

[As a conductor] there has to be, between me and the orchestra, an unshakable bond of trust, born out of mutual respect,…

— Charles Hazlewood

The most important thing for the conductor is that he or she listens. Her listening will make things sound a certain way.…

— Laurence Equilbey

Pablo Casals is a great musician in all he does: a cellist without equal, and extraordinary conductor and composer with something to…

— Albert Schweitzer

“In this symphony that is my life, God is not content to be a member of the audience or stage crew. He…

— Brad Wilcox

There are two types of conductors. One is the good conductor who can do passionate music but also listen to the singers…

— Anna Netrebko

“Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo. Shovel them under and let me work-- I am the grass; I cover all.…

— Carl Sandburg

In the high school classroom you are a drill sergent, a rabbi, a shoulder to cry on, a disciplinarian, a singer, a…

— Frank McCourt

“pulled out my Valery Gergiev trump card and said I would have to call him about getting another hotel. There are many…

— Renee Fleming

Before Liszt, a conductor was someone who just facilitated the performance, who would keep people together or beat the time, indicate the…

— Stephen Hough

If I take that person and play them as a record I'm becoming not only a conductor and composer of collage, but…

— DJ Spooky

Today's parents have little authority over those others with whom they share the task of raising their children. On the contrary,most parents…

— Kenneth Keniston

I think it's a very important collaboration between the conductor and the orchestra - especially when the conductor is one more member…

— Gustavo Dudamel

Somehow, conductor as this superhuman conduit between the masters and the masterpieces and the immortals.

— Esa-Pekka Salonen

If you want to please the critics, don't play too loud, too soft, too fast, too slow.

— Arturo Toscanini

The whole duty of a conductor is comprised in his ability to indicate the right tempo.

— Richard Wagner

The conductor must make it possible to eliminate himself in the music. If the orchestra feels him doing that, then everything will…

— Giuseppe Sinopoli

For me, the conductor is a person who interprets along with me, and we interpret things together.

— Hilary Hahn

There's nothing more frustrating than seeing a conductor say, 'Play softer,' as they're waving their hands in huge gestures.

— Joshua Bell

I have three siblings. My sister makes music. My older brother is a classical conductor, and my younger brother is a mixing…

— Lisa Loeb

You're about to be the conductor on the most brilliant, runaway train in showbiz. Good luck you'll love it.

— Dermot O'Leary

Music is a labyrinth with no beginning and no end, full of new paths to discover, where mystery remains eternal

— Pierre Boulez

This year - a factory of semiconductors. Next year - a factory of whole conductors!

— Todor Zhivkov

The great leaders are like the best conductors - they reach beyond the notes to reach the magic in the players..

— Anonymous

Drummers are conductors - we set the pace for the music - so if you're not relaxed and feeling right, the whole…

— Steven Adler

The conductor's stand is not a continent of power, but rather an island of solitude.

— Riccardo Muti

I always imagined that to bring an orchestra to play together is not enough for a conductor.

— Kurt Masur

Conductors do not know how the oboe does its work, but they know what the oboe should contribute.

— Peter Drucker

Acting is just playing the violin in an orchestra. Directing is being the conductor.

— Jason Bateman