What makes a concert a phenomenal/fantastic concert for you?

A great concert is one where the musicians and the conductor trust each other.

When you are so involved with music, can it still touch you?

Yes, that's the beauty of the best classical works: you always hear new things. You pay less attention to your own part, but you hear things happening in other instruments. That remains fascinating.

Do you have a particular routine for a concert?

No, but I do for a rehearsal day. Then I come very early, as one of the first, and then I start playing, doing stretching exercises. I always find the first rehearsal exciting. By the time the concert comes, I think: I've had all the rehearsals, it can't get any better.

Do you feel a connection with the audience while you are playing?

Less than you would think. You are really 'in' the music, focused on your performance. You don't see much in the hall, but often the faces of the people in the front rows. It's nice when you can see that they are enjoying it. And the applause at the end always feels good.

What have you given up for a life in music?

I come from Canada, so I had to give up my home country to come to the Netherlands. But I think in any profession where you have to deliver top performances, you have to give up something in your life. You also get a lot in return. I always think of a cartoon by the American cartoonist Gary Larson. You see dogs in a garden chasing a postman and biting his leg. And in the house, behind the window, you see a dog with a violin looking very sad, because he has to study instead of playing with the other dogs.

Besides classical music, what do you consider the best music?

All pop music from the seventies. That's what I grew up with and I still think it's the best.

What is typical of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra?

That we always go for it. Full of energy. That's what I think is typical of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra: that energy on stage.