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Brahms is one of my all-time favorite composers.

My father was always playing the piano. He played all kinds of music - Gershwin, all kinds of stuff.

That was my first love growing up - classical orchestral music, especially Impressionism.

The first jazz pianist I heard was Thelonious Monk. My father was listening to an album of his called 'Monk's Dream' almost every day from the time I was born.

Richard Wagner, a musician who wrote music which is better than it sounds.

I studied voice at Yale with Blake Stern from the music school, and he had me singing German lieder and Italian songs.

In the 1950s in the United States, few music lovers were listening to chamber music. Daddy played Bach and Haydn on our phonograph for me. Not only did I become familiar with the form; he discussed the concerti. My own head start. My own Head Start.

I like a composer called Henry Purcell, and I love to listen to Neil Young.

Ellington is a writer and arranger, as well as a musician and leader. He does movie sound tracks.