Sir Harrison Birtwistle

I have never had any problems with music, and I don't even know where there could be any. For me, music is generally fascinating and mysterious, though a large part of it is also very boring. But I don't compose to solve the problems of others.
I am avant-garde. Certainly, it's a delicate balance even for me, but one cannot aim to be part of a tradition in the broadest sense. Perhaps I write for an elite audience, but I don't think about that when composing. I just want to be as good as Beethoven—that's my ambition.