"We are similar to a museum. My function is to present old masterpieces in modern frames."

"How nice the human voice is when it isn't singing."

"The opera always loses money. That's as it should be. Opera has no business making money."

"There are two sighs of relief every night in the life of an opera manager. The first comes when the curtain goes up The second sigh of relief comes when the final curtain goes down without any disaster, and one realizes, gratefully, that the miracle has happened again."

"I am perfectly happy to believe that nobody likes us but the public."

"I prefer to remember the happy things over 10 years, the things that went well. Let me see, what did go well?"

"Expressions of disapproval are on a level of vulgarity that cannot be tolerated. The way to express disapproval is to do without applause."