Art is what defines us, what makes us human.

Jan Vogler

Categorized in : Defines Human Us Art

There's no place that communicates as much - and as quickly - as Times Square does. I see the roiling energy and its forceful race into the future. Of course, after 15 minutes, I want to get as far away from there as possible.

place far-away future energy

I remember my first time coming to New York City. It was 1986, and I was on a U.S. tour with a stop at Lincoln Center. It was love at first sight.

city time remember love

I grew up with Mark Twain, and we had the complete Hemingway at home, of course in German translation.

translation complete up home

My favorite exhibition of all time was at The Met years ago, called 'Glitter and Doom: German Portraits from the 1920s.'

exhibition 1920s glitter time

As a professional cellist, I go to mostly classical concerts because that's the music I play, but I am also always trying to find out who the voices of our time are. I attend a spectrum of concerts that are close to classical - anything from Wynton Marsalis to Renee Fleming.

professional i-am music time

Jazz musicians, in a way, are nerds. We are so in our world.

musicians jazz way world

I think that for every artist, it's very important to have an output and to feel very strongly about the music you're producing.

feel think you music

Cultural activity is what makes us human.

cultural us human activity

There was no such thing as a solo career in East Germany. You had to get the best orchestra job that you could.

career best job you

I sometimes joke - but the joke is not so wrong - that after my time in East Germany, I could either afford therapy to work through what happened under the Communists or move to New York.

new work time sometimes

New York is the opposite of East Germany, the crown of individuality. That's why I can work well here and find out what I personally think of the pieces I'm learning. I can lay aside all the baggage of German education. In any case, whatever I do, I can't lose it altogether.

think learning education work

Our biggest catastrophe was that Dresden was destroyed in the war. But the message of the city is that wounds of war can heal, and people can live in peace.

city war peace people

I tried to play Piazzolla's 'Grand Tango' at 20 and failed miserably. You need a little experience of life for tango.

you experience play life

In Berlin... it's important to present a concert that will change their ears... so if you present a Tchaikovsky symphony, you get almost no audience.

will you important change