Anybody can put things together that belong together. to put things together that don't go together, and make it work, that takes genius like Mozart's. Yet he is presented in the play Amadeus as a kind of silly boy whom the gods loved.
Lukas Foss

Truth is a big concept.
Lukas Foss

Truth implies meaning.
Lukas Foss

If one uses music that one does not really love, then one will not succeed in making it one's own.
Lukas Foss

I still do not know where the notes will come from when I accept a commission for a new work.
Lukas Foss

Personality is essential. It is in every work of art. When someone walks on stage for a performance and has charisma, everyone is convinced that he has personality. I find that charisma is merely a form of showmanship. Movie stars usually have it. A politician has to have it.
Lukas Foss

For years that may mean imitation. Then, one day, it is like a door opening, and a new thought comes in. Why not try this instead. Suddenly he is doing something original, almost in spite of himself.
Lukas Foss