How do you cope with jet lag since you travel so much?
My trick is to consider I am in the new time zone as soon as I deplane. I don’t think, “Oh, I am jet lagged” or “I am so tired!” It is the only way— just embrace and accept it.
When and where were you happiest?
I am very lucky. I have had so many happy moments in my life that I can’t really single out one!
Have you ever injured yourself conducting?
I wasn’t conducting yet but was just waiting to go out to the podium for a rehearsal of the Orchestre Métropolitain. I was holding my baton upright and I moved my arm suddenly and the baton jerked upward and went inside my nostril! My nose started bleeding, and I was so embarrassed!
Who are your favorite writers?
Oscar Wilde and Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Prize-winning poet and philosopher. His writing is very beautiful and I feel when reading it both a passion and an acceptance of the world.
What one app could you not live without?
FlightTrack. It is great for all the travel that I do. It lets you know if there will be any delay, in real time, anywhere in the world!
What is your greatest fear?
To be honest, my fear is to die. I love life so much, and while this has not changed as I’ve grown older, I think that one day I may find a different feeling about this