. >> rose: why couldn't you do that as the conductor and music director ofphilharmonic? do those two things, why couldn't they go together? >> they do go together. >> rose: of course. and for the new york philharmonic to throw more passion into this galvanizing idea. >> one step at a time. you choose your battles. the new york philharmonic famously played in north korea, okay. despite where we are now with that situation, i still think that that was an amazing statement and that was a door opening. >> rose: what was the statement? the statement was no matter what conflict exists between nations and what hostilities that exist, music is always a place we can come together. >> exactly. it was possible four the new york philharmonic to show up in north korea. this is my predecessor. they were able to do what they do at the new york philharmonic and it communicated with the people, with a select audience a completely different culture and different background and there's a moment of true human connection. >> rose: they used to have at the state department, u.s. state departm