After hearing Daniel Barenboim conduct the English Chamber Orchestra he became very interested in conducting. He started to conduct orchestras while playing the solo parts of works by Bach and Vivaldi. This conducting (leading) from the concertmaster’s chair had been the tradition in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1974 he conducted the English Chamber Orchestra. Then he got opportunities to conduct New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony, Boston Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras. In the 1980s he was the musical director of the St Paul Chamber Orchestra. For many years he continued to appear as soloist with some of the best orchestras in the world. He won many awards, including two Grammy Awards. 