"There is something mythical about a performance. And it should stay that way. Everything and nothing can be going on in our heads while we play. Maybe that’s necessary for us to shape and connect with the music."

"Having come from the Soviet Union, if you knew the number of pianos I had to try – nothing scares me if something goes wrong […] Most of the venues I’m playing at I know the pianos. Some are nice, others I must struggle with. But if there’s a problem, I can fix it myself."

"Performing complete cycles of all Beethoven sonatas has changed my life. One starts to look for connections; one needs two years to get close to the musical language. I've found connections encompassing all sonatas. Pablo Picasso expressed it well: I do not search – I find."

"It’s a tricky balance to respect the knowledge that we have now about the way they supposedly played in those times, and yet be able to express ourselves freely and respectfully."

"Every pianist starts with an sound in their head. It doesn’t come from the fingers or the shoulders… But what’s also true is that very few people actually have access to an individual sound. Those are the people whom you want hear over and over again."

"The hardest part is the travelling and being far away from the ones you love (children, husband, parents, friends). The best part is being able to touch people with my music and seeing their happy faces after a wonderful concert. I really still believe that music makes people better!"

"When playing in a quartet, one of the most important things is to respect all the individual personalities of each member; they are part of the identity of the group."