With American orchestras, in particular, because they play in such huge halls, getting a true pianissimo is very hard. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
The players never think they project enough. In a hall that seats 3,300 people, it's a very scary thing to play so… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
If somebody had told me when I was starting composition in Helsinki in the '70s that I would end up in L.A.… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
We're dealing with music that is being played by traditional instruments in a specifically built building called a concert hall. But classical… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
Every day we make more progress toward understanding the concert hall. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
There is something very special about this part of the world [U.S], which is the openness and the curiosity and the lack of prejudice… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
Every orchestra I know, every opera house I know, is desperately looking around trying to find new talent, new composing talent, supporting young composers,… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
After 30 years I have realized the greatest pleasure I can get is to have learnt. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
Anyone who composes and conducts at the same time is immediately suspect, because he must be faking one or the other. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
I started conducting lessons and I realized that this is actually something I like doing. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
We need new art. Old art cannot do that. It can do lots of other things, and of course humanity hasn't changed that much… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
Pulse as an active means of expression, Stravinsky and Beethoven are the two masters of that. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
The underlying process in Northern music tends to be slower and continuous, whatever's happening on the surface; in Southern music the underlying process is… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
The Royal Festival Hall in London is nice; people hang out there. I think this inviting, non-exclusive character is very important. — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image
As we watch TV or films, there are no organic transitions, only edits. The idea of A becoming B, rather than A jumping to… — Esa-Pekka Salonen Copy Share Image