I've twice been on the point of giving up my performing career to train for the priesthood. — Stephen Hough Career Copy Share Image
Out of silence is born concentration, and from that comes learning. — Stephen Hough Born Copy Share Image
Most people spend their life trying to get away from Catholicism. Amazingly, I chose it. — Stephen Hough Catholic Copy Share Image
I once nodded off during one of my own concerts. While I was playing. — Stephen Hough Concerts Copy Share Image
I like the extras in life. Concentrating on serious things doesn't mean you can't also enjoy the lighter ones. — Stephen Hough Enjoy Copy Share Image
I'm not really a professional composer; I just compose now and then when someone asks me to. — Stephen Hough Composer Copy Share Image
In school, my favourite class was when we were given a subject for an essay on which we could freewheel. And poetry:… — Stephen Hough Loved Copy Share Image
I just found the piano so fascinating and wonderful, and I begged my parents to buy me one. In the end, they… — Stephen Hough End Copy Share Image
I love listening to things like those wonderful piano pieces of Stockhausen. It's just not my thing as a composer or performer,… — Stephen Hough Goodness Copy Share Image
Bach and Beethoven erected temples and churches on the heights. I only wanted to build dwellings for men in which they might… — Stephen Hough Dwellings Copy Share Image
If I'm walking along the street, ideas come. Ideas about things that I'm interested in. I've jotted them down in the past… — Stephen Hough Ideas Copy Share Image
Restaurants should be forced to recycle their leftovers for animal consumption - and should create fewer leftovers in the first place. — Stephen Hough Animal Copy Share Image
I would do a sort of violence to myself if I didn't express myself in the directly creative ways of writing, both… — Stephen Hough Music Copy Share Image
Life is an incurable disease leading to death, but it's also an unrequested gift, which, if we can manage to keep giving… — Stephen Hough Death Copy Share Image
I enjoy painting. It's an incredible release of tension, and I feel very excited doing it. I squeeze out some wonderful red… — Stephen Hough Artist Copy Share Image
Unlike a high-wire walker, I don't think any musician strikes the wires of a piano or draws a bow across a violin's… — Stephen Hough Broken Copy Share Image
Before Liszt, a conductor was someone who just facilitated the performance, who would keep people together or beat the time, indicate the… — Stephen Hough Conductor Copy Share Image
If you arrive at a concert ready to play your piece, that's not nearly good enough. You must have your music ready… — Stephen Hough Good Copy Share Image
If 'ecstasy' means to stand outside ourselves, then what better ambition can there be as we wait in the wings of the… — Stephen Hough Ambition Copy Share Image
If you are not living in the same area when you are looking for property, it is a nightmare because you come… — Stephen Hough Come Copy Share Image
There must be so many people who have various artistic talents that, for whatever reason, just have no way of expressing them.… — Stephen Hough Art Copy Share Image
The piano is an instrument that can easily sound overly thick, and I love to think that I can work with textures… — Stephen Hough I love Copy Share Image
I can admire music where you feel the composer has everything organized and perfectly shaped, but it doesn't touch me. I like… — Stephen Hough Admire Copy Share Image
I want music to move me, and I don't think it can do that without at least a link to tonality. It's… — Stephen Hough Between Copy Share Image
Where prominent writers are expected to have a socially, politically responsible voice, musicians sometimes find meaning only in the voice which produces… — Stephen Hough Find Copy Share Image
I've always written - about music, art, things going on around the world. The danger is that it becomes too personal. I… — Stephen Hough Around the world Copy Share Image
It's very hard to come up with ideal situations... With different moods and the difficulties of traveling around, I often play my… — Stephen Hough Best Copy Share Image
I think there are very few people that I would give the title of genius to, really, but Beethoven unquestionably is one… — Stephen Hough Beethoven Copy Share Image
I don't watch television! At least not when I'm traveling. For some reason, I have always found it depressing to watch television… — Stephen Hough Hotel Copy Share Image
I think it all comes from the same source, really, the writing of music, the writing of words, the playing of music.… — Stephen Hough Art Copy Share Image
I think the actual art of expressing yourself is a very important part of being human. And an important part of being… — Stephen Hough Art Copy Share Image
The hierarchy is set out for me. The first priority is piano. I have to be 101 percent prepared. I find that… — Stephen Hough Creative juices Copy Share Image
I was only listening to rock music, burning joss sticks in my bedroom, wanting only to be a disc jockey, and watching… — Stephen Hough Alienation Copy Share Image
I haven't studied theology in any systematic way. I don't think I'd find certain subjects - canon law, for instance - terribly… — Stephen Hough Always Copy Share Image
Why do people compose music? Why do people listen to music? When we go into a concert, we go into a place… — Stephen Hough Experience Copy Share Image
I don't think of faith as something that's like a rock, that never changes. I think it's something that's very fluid, always… — Stephen Hough Always Copy Share Image
The 'Rhapsody' has a lean, modern, American feel about it, whereas with Rachmaninoff's second and third concertos, you feel very much you're… — Stephen Hough American Copy Share Image
There are artists who delight listeners with their wild and daring individuality; there are others who uncover the written score with reverence.… — Stephen Hough Art Copy Share Image
Live in the present moment. The past and future are nonexistent. Only the present can be grasped or, better, embraced. — Stephen Hough Future Copy Share Image
No two composers were more totally at home in front of the piano than Debussy and Chopin, hands to keys to strings… — Stephen Hough Debussy Copy Share Image
