What are you reading at the moment?

This summer I am reading quite a lot about Beethoven, but I just finished "News from Nowhere" by William Morris for the millionth time, a book I come back to regularly and cherish tremendously. I am also reading a gripping book by Giles Milton called "Checkmate in Berlin" and I am planning to re-read Olga Tokarczuk's "Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead" before the end of the summer and maybe even manage some Tolstoi (the resurrection is on my pile!).

Do you like garlic or not?

I LOVE garlic. Literally couldn't live without it.

Beatles or Stones?

This is not even a question for me - I LIVE for the Beatles. Even more specifically, I owe my integrity as an artist to the inspiration of John Lennon.

If you had one day to live what would you do?

Go to Scotland and jump into the sea. Then get out of the water, take one of my favourite book, sit next to the fireplace, and read until I fall asleep.

It is 2097 and your piece is played to an audience of 14 robots, 35 people, and 76 animals of varying sorts, how will they all react and what do you want them to feel?

I would rather not ever play for machines. I believe that music is only and always will be about direct human contact. I see it as my task to give people a window of emotions where they can take some time off daily life and come in contact with their own emotions, through music. And ideally, meet others, who are feeling the same - or something utterly different - through the same music. As the protagonist of one of my favourite films, "as it is in heaven", says before he dies: "all I wanted to do was make music that open people's hearts". Kitchy and sentimental, but absolutely true.

If you could invent a new instrument what would it look like and how would it sound?

A mixture of a donkey and a hammond organ.

In an ideal world when and how should people listen to your music?

Always live. Always.

Your favourite place to compose: a cave, an attic, a café, on the train, or are you inspired everywhere?

I don't compose. But I study scores in cafes. I need a space which has enough white-noise for me not to feel too lonely or have too much silence so I notice the clocks ticking, but still not have any concrete sounds that would distract me. Cafes are perfect. Bookshops (which are my favourite places in the world) which are also cafes are even more perfect. I wish I could say that I am most inspired on a secluded beach in Cornwall or on a Loch in Scotland but frankly, when I am in one of those magical places, I don't want to study music. I have it in my head the whole time anyway, so all I want is to forget it for a few moments.

Do you sleep on your back, front, or side?

I have no idea.

What is your biggest dream and what is your biggest fear?

My biggest dream is to one day write my own music and my biggest fear is that when I finally do that, I will realize that it is total trash and doesn't deserve to be played.

Except that, I would like to make a film about a story I've been having in my head since I was 7, and travel to Japan and New Zealand, and read the complete works of William Morris, and learn Swedish and Russian, and read everything Chechov ever wrote, and open a shop for old books and stationary and flowers. Oh and I am terrified of blood tests and spiders. And going home after a performance knowing it wasn't good, especially when everybody else liked it. And standing in front of a new orchestra. And ever having to cook. For anyone. 

What bores you?

Waiting in the queue at the post office or the supermarket or the bank. Actually any kind of waiting. I hate waiting.