Igor Stravinsky

"The public is not always right, but it is never wrong."

"My music may be strange to some, but it is honest."

"The conductor's job is to make the impossible possible."

"Innovation is the lifeblood of music."

"I write music because I must, not because I wish to."

"The greatest invention since the string quartet is the string quartet."

"One must respect tradition while breaking free from it."

"The orchestra is the most complex instrument ever invented."

"To understand my music, one must first understand oneself."

"I am not a child prodigy, I am a child working hard."

"The future of music is in the hands of the young."

"To create is to live twice."

"Every composer has his own language, and I simply speak mine."

"The best form of rebellion is creation."

"Music knows no borders, languages, or politics."

"I think about music when I sleep, and I compose when I wake."

"The world needs artists now more than ever."

"Perfection is not just about the notes; it is about the silence between them."

"One should not fear failure; one should fear complacency."

"Music is the art of the absolute, the most abstract of all arts."

"To compose is to meditate with sound."

"I have always tried to express the truth as I see it."

"The role of the composer is to serve music, not music to serve him."

"Great music transcends its own time."

"One must have discipline to be truly free."

"The notes are not the music; the feeling is."

"I believe in the power of simplicity."

"A composer must be willing to fail spectacularly."

"Music brings people together in ways nothing else can."

"The greatest gift a composer can give is a moment of truth."