I first came to Singapore in the mid-‘90s. I was approached by the late [Brother] Joseph McNally, founder and then president of LASALLE College of the Arts.I accepted a six-month contract, but liked LASALLE and Singapore so much. I’ve been here ever since.I have a tendency to always look forward, even if I know it’s healthy to slow down at times, step aside, reflect and look back.Leonard Bernstein’s conversations were exhausting for me, because he jumped from one topic to another. His encyclopedic knowledge was awesome; you name it, he spoke about. He also spoke a lot about death, but with a sort of serene detachment.I’m into bird watching and philately. The rarest stamps I own are Belgian ration food stamps from WWI.I avoid Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion because it brings me to tears.I don’t have a single favorite composer, but I inevitably return to Bach because, during the time of worst difficulties in my life, he reminds me why I chose to be a musician.I wish I’d written Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.Musicians have a tendency to look down on composers from their own country. I suppose the reception has improved somewhat in Singapore, but there’s no short cut.It took a good millennium to create Europe.Handphones ringing during a concert are unnerving. I lose concentration while conducting, I must then refocus the musicians, and we must then reconnect with the audience.We don’t have the right to penalize the rest of the audience for the behavior of one individual.I have a problem with audiences who don’t recognize a good performance from a bad one, judging by their response.When I was young, I couldn’t understand why, the older my mentors and teachers were, the less they attended concerts. Now, I’m starting to understand.
