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Jessye Norman
Legendary Opera Soprano
Jessye Norman: I decided years ago that I would never ever work as an adjudicator. As a kid, going around singing in various competitions and various contests and so on, I decided long ago that I would never do that. I've been asked several times, not for that particular thing, but to adjudicate a vocal competition, and I was very flattered to be asked to do this for a jazz organization just a couple of years ago. And I said I won't do that, because I've seen judges make so many mistakes that people that have had potential have been discouraged, because a judge said, "Oh well, you're just not what we're looking for," or "You don't have the right look," or "You don't have the right sound," or whatever, and they've been discouraged. And people who really were kind of the one-pony show have been chosen, and they haven't sort of gone beyond that one-pony show. So I determined very early in my professional life that it would take more than is, I think, available to simple humans, to be able to determine that a person at age 18 is going to still be singing or playing the violin or playing the piano at age 40. Your own experience can't determine that. You're a completely different person from that youngster that is on stage singing the waltz from Puccini's Bohème or something.
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Antonia Novello
Former Surgeon General of the United States
"When the time comes to be the best, do it. But, when the time comes to step down from being the best, do it better, because when you are a small group, they expect you to come down fighting." And, again, element of surprise -- come down with dignity and don't let anyone confuse dignity with weakness because people will remember more that minute of dignity than those three and a half years of good work, because on your shoulders are all of those that want to be you and they want you to do good for them. And boy, is it hard not to fight, but it's harder to do what is right.
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Sir Trevor Nunn
Theatrical Director
I've just taken the decision that I'm going to now go full time back into the theater. And I've just accepted the job of running The National Theatre in England, because I want to be able to say to myself, "The integrity of this enterprise is finally down to me." The buck stops right here in my lap. And it's not possible, it's not conceivable for me to say, "Well, what's happening on the stage at the moment is because it's his fault, or her fault, or their fault." It's my fault. Or it's my commitment, or it's my success, or it's pleasure or whatever.
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