about what I've done but I'm generally not a person who lives in the

past and when people ask me

"What were your favorite moments? What were your highlights?"

the things that come to mind are the things we've done most recently;

the recent tour in Europe — the Mahler 4s that we did,

the Berlioz "Symphonie fantastique"

I think the Orchestra's playing

so beautifully and with such generosity

and such flexibility and such heart.

For me, we're at the top of our game now.

The chemistry between me and the Orchestra has evolved.

I've tried to adjust the way I've worked with the Orchestra over time.

It's a weird thing, conducting,

because you're telling the Orchestra what to do but

you also have to incorporate what they offer.

It's a very dynamic communication.

Well playing Guitar Hero with Death was definitely one of the highlights

especially since I won that encounter.

How often can people say that?

Musically there are so many powerful moments that I'll never forget.

I remember doing "Ein Heldenleben"

and hearing Glenn Dicterow to my left and playing some of the most

unbelievable instrumental solos that you will ever hear.

I was just thinking to myself,

"Wow, I get to do this this. This is really, really lucky."

Not many people get that kind of spiritual high.

The moment, actually, that jumps to mind

because it affected me in such a surprisingly visceral way

was kind of an odd one.

We were in a rehearsal for Doug Fitch's Dancer's Dream project

and at one point we asked the musicians to

stand up and move around, and dance and play their

their parts by heart and suddenly when I saw these musicians dancing around and

rocking it out in this rehearsal I got so moved I actually had tears in my eyes

because I was thinking "Wow!

Look what the New York Philharmonic

is doing so enthusiastically

and with such belief and such sort of buy-in."

It really would have been impossible to imagine the Orchestra

doing that in my first season.

We really shifted the paradigm and that

they were willing to go outside of what is traditionally asked of orchestral

musicians and do it so compellingly.

That was one of the moments where I

actually was overcome by a feeling that totally took me by surprise.

I've been thinking a lot for this next chapter of my life,

both personal and musical,

about how I can use music and who I am as a musician and the

platform I am privileged to occupy as a musician

how I can use music for good.

Orchestras are in a unique position placed within the societies that they serve,

the communities that they serve,

to really get a message out.

I think there is such a thing as working for what's right

and what is humanly important and

what is morally correct and orchestras, since they can

reach so many different people and since the language of music is so

international, I think we have the possibility but also the duty, the

responsibility to stand up for what it what what is right.

Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker.

And the fact is that even now I travel so much and I

will continue to have so much time in New York traveling in the future my

heart will always be here and I always feel at home here.

New York is definitely special. It's where I grew up.

It's where I sort of became who I am

and it's been such a privilege to be able to work here

with the New York Philharmonic over these eight years

and somehow that will always be part of who I am.

I do feel incredibly close to our audience

and what I spoke about early on

was the hope that we would build up a kind of rapport and a kind of trust and

I really think we've accomplished that

I feel the warmth when when I come on stage

and the willingness of the Orchestra to try new things

the willingness of the audience to try new things

and to share experiences together, has I think, really happened

and for that I'm going to be eternally grateful.