In the 10th installment in a series of interviews with world leaders and prominent figures, Yomiuri Shimbun London Bureau chief Toshiaki Arai talks to Seiji Ozawa, the internationally acclaimed conductor. Born in 1935 in northern China, Ozawa studied conducting at Toho Gakuen School of Music. He won the 1959 Besancon international conducting contest and became the musical director of the Boston Symphony in 1973. With Boston and Tokyo as his home bases, he is active around the world. Ozawa offers his views on music, creativity and individuality.
People have different feelings about music even if they listen to the same notes.
Some may think the notes are too loud. Others may not. Some may be attracted to them. Others may not. If you sit one meter away from me at a concert, the impact of the concert will be different for you and me.