Dmitri Shostakovich

Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.

When a man is in despair, it means that he still believes in something.

I am an optimist, but a tragic optimist.

Music is a means of expression, not a means of earning a living.

A true artist always knows what he is doing, and why.

The artist must be a man of his time, but he must also be a man of all time.

The composer who is afraid of dissonance is like a painter who is afraid of color.

Music is a powerful weapon. It can be used for good or for evil.

I write music because I have to. It's a compulsion.

The purpose of art is to make people think, to make them feel, to make them live.

My music is an expression of my inner world, my joys and sorrows, my hopes and fears.

I believe that music can change the world, one note at a time.

The greatest tragedy for a composer is to be silent.

I am not a political composer. I am a human being who writes music.

The artist must be free to express himself, even if his expression is unpopular.

Music is the language of the soul.

I have always tried to be honest in my music, to express what I truly feel.

The true artist is a rebel, a nonconformist, a provocateur.

Music is a reflection of life, with all its beauty and ugliness.

I am not afraid of death. I am afraid of not living.