Explain to me, please, why in our literature and art so often people absolutely incompetent in this field have the final word.

When I started learning the cello, I fell in love with the instrument because it seemed like a voice - my voice.

Every man must have the right fearlessly to think independently and express his opinion about what he knows, what he has personally thought about and experienced, and not merely to express with slightly different variations the opinion which has been inculcated in him.

My mother carried me for 10 months. I asked her 'Mother, you had an extra month, why you didn't make me a beautiful face?' and mother told me, 'My son, I was busy making your beautiful hands and heart.'

Now I come to 75 years of age, I think what's most important in life is your conscience. If you told a lie and made other people suffer, I think that's very difficult when you reach this age.

All my life I wanted to play music with love to every member of the audience.

I came to Moscow when I was 5 years old from Baku. To walk all night in Moscow will bring back my youth to me.

I have a very deep religious belief.

I like coming to the United States because the United States played an important role in my life.

I listened to Pablo Casals, which was a big change for me. Without hearing Casals, I would never have advanced as I did.

I never studied, but I had the best teachers.

I played with the best conductors of the world.

It is my aim, my destination in life to make the cello as beloved an instrument as the violin and piano.

Music is part of history, and our history has lessons that cannot be separated from our greatest music.

The war years were the most difficult time of my life. There was real famine in Moscow. The water froze inside the houses. There was no heat.

You know creators, composers, need a palette for life, a color for life.

You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart.

Baalbek is so beautiful. It is the heart of beauty in the Middle East - I want to embrace these people with my music. I will try so hard for them. Their president is a Christian, their prime minister is a Muslim. Music is for everyone.

I know that after my letter there will be undoubtedly an 'opinion' about me, but I am not afraid of it. I openly say what I think. Talent, of which we are proud, must not be submitted to the assaults of the past.

If I make a speech, I need a translator. But music does not need a translation. People understand me through the sound. That I think is very important. This is just one planet, like one family.