Top 70 Eugene Ormandy Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Thank you for your cooperation and vice versa.”

— Eugene Ormandy

2. “Beauty is less important than quality.”

— Eugene Ormandy

3. “Don’t ever follow me, because I am difficult.”

— Eugene Ormandy

4. “Accelerando means in tempo. Don’t rush.”

— Eugene Ormandy

5. “During the rests – pray.”

— Eugene Ormandy

6. “I always feel I do it too slow, but then others do it faster.”

— Eugene Ormandy

7. “Write it down in your own handwriting.”

— Eugene Ormandy

8. “Who is sitting in that empty chair?”

— Eugene Ormandy

9. “Congratulations to each and every one of you for the concert last night in New York and vice versa.”

— Eugene Ormandy

10. “It is not as difficult as I thought it was, but it is harder than it is.”

— Eugene Ormandy

11. “Intonation is important, especially when it is cold.”

— Eugene Ormandy

12. “That’s the way Stravinsky was. Bup, bup, bup, bup. The poor guy’s dead now. Play it legato.”

— Eugene Ormandy

13. “Please follow me because I have to follow him and he isn’t here.”

— Eugene Ormandy

14. “Watch me closely – only one can spoil it.”

— Eugene Ormandy

15. “Think of your girlfriend or boyfriend or whomever you want to.”

— Eugene Ormandy

16. “Something went wrong. It was correct when I studied it.”

— Eugene Ormandy

17. “It is not together, but the ensemble is perfect.”

— Eugene Ormandy

18. “Im one of the boys, no better than the last second violinist. Im just the lucky one to be standing in the center, telling them how to play.”

— Eugene Ormandy

19. “It’s hot as hell as can be.”

— Eugene Ormandy

20. “Suddenly I was in the right tempo – but it wasn’t.”

— Eugene Ormandy

21. “Mahler wrote it as the third movement of his Fourth Symphony. I mean the fourth movement of his First Symphony. We play it third. The trumpet solo will be played by our solo trumpet player. It’s named ‘Blumine,’ which has something to do with flowers.”

— Eugene Ormandy

22. “With us tonight is William Warfield, who is with us tonight. He is a wonderful man, and so is his wife.”

— Eugene Ormandy

23. “Start at B. Yes. No. Yes. No.”

— Eugene Ormandy

24. “I don’t get into politics, general or musical, but just call me if you get jury duty. Even in New Jersey I was able to help somebody.”

— Eugene Ormandy

25. “I wrote it the right way, so it was copied the wrong way right. I mean the right way wrong.”

— Eugene Ormandy

26. “The notes are right, but if I listened they would be wrong.”

— Eugene Ormandy

27. “I told him he’d have a heart attack a year ago, but unfortunately he lived a year longer.”

— Eugene Ormandy

28. “Long note? Yes. Make it seem short.”

— Eugene Ormandy

29. “Let me explain what I do here. I don’t want to confuse you any more than absolutely necessary.”

— Eugene Ormandy

30. “I’m conducting slowly because I don’t know the tempo.”

— Eugene Ormandy

31. “Serkin was so sick he almost died for three days.”

— Eugene Ormandy

32. “Muti is going to do the Alpine Symphony this year. He will do it well because it is not very well known.”

— Eugene Ormandy

33. “Start three bars before something.”

— Eugene Ormandy

34. “Brass, stay down all summer.”

— Eugene Ormandy

35. “More basses, because you are so far away.”

— Eugene Ormandy

36. “It’s so legato it’s difficult to splice. Sibelius was famous for that.”

— Eugene Ormandy

37. “There was confusion since I stood here 35 years ago.”

— Eugene Ormandy

38. “It’s all very well to have principles, but when it comes to money you have to be flexible.”

— Eugene Ormandy

39. “I know this music from memory, not from the music.”

— Eugene Ormandy

40. “I can see none of you are smugglers; that’s why it’s so loud.”

— Eugene Ormandy

41. “Death is an awful thing. I don’t believe in it myself.”

— Eugene Ormandy

42. “I never say what I mean, but I always manage to say something similar.”

— Eugene Ormandy

43. “Did you play? It sounded very good.”

— Eugene Ormandy

44. “Let’s start at 35 because I don’t know where it is.”

— Eugene Ormandy

45. “This is one bar you should take home.”

— Eugene Ormandy

46. “I can conduct better than I count.”

— Eugene Ormandy

47. “Don’t think you are looking at me because you are not.”

— Eugene Ormandy

48. “I need one more bass less.”

— Eugene Ormandy

49. “I conduct faster so you can see my beat.”

— Eugene Ormandy

50. “If you don’t have it in your part, leave it out, because there is enough missing already.”

— Eugene Ormandy