Michala Petri Inspirational Quotes (11)

Composers often think in terms of music and not of an instrument itself.

When I was very young, Denmark was a very small country, and we still are, but it was then very provincial and everybody knew everybody. Now, we are very much like the rest of the world, especially with the arrival of the internet.

Each composer has their own language, and I try to meet the challenges, even if at first sight, they appear impossible.

My father is a violinist and my mother is a pianist, so I've been hearing music all my life. I started playing at three and had my first music teacher at five.

When you play the oboe, the flute or other wind instruments, there is something between you and the breath there is the embouchure, the reed, etc. But with the recorder, I receive an immediate response from the instrument. This is something that attracted me to the instrument, that I could immediately feel the response of what I was doing.

Looking for inspiration in expression, I have actually always looked to singers and violinists. I have never really looked only at the recorder as a remedy for my expressions.

Many people used to call me a child prodigy, but I never thought that. I knew that I had learned everything, that I had very good circumstances.

Denmark is, of course is very much like Germany: in terms of culture, the same kind of thinking, etc.

I've always been very inspired by people who can make their instrument sound very natural.

I think that today, in Europe at least, people don't tend to think so much about the instrument that is producing the music they are more interested to see if the musician actually has something to say.

Of course, the recorder will never have the repertoire of the piano or the violin.