It keeps me loose. I always have an hour-and-a-half nap before a concert. I try to be low-key and relaxed, not talk to too many people or be interviewed, otherwise I get distracted. I try to clear my head so I can get the noise out. That way, when I walk on stage I'm ready to give 100 per cent to the music and let it fill every part of my brain.

There are different dynamics with each orchestra I work with. The conductor makes a difference. For example, I like [Andrey Boreyko, who guest conducted with the Hong Kong Philharmonic] very much. I've never worked with him before. He brings a lot to the orchestra. It's always nice coming back to an orchestra I know.

I always strive for balance, which is challenging. I tend to schedule too much - about 120 concerts each year. Even the time I leave free, something always comes up, such as a recording. These days, I enjoy playing chamber music, directing an orchestra and conducting a little bit. I love working with youth orchestras because they still have great enthusiasm for music. What challenges me most is composing. I don't compose much but I write cadenzas and do arrangements. I haven't taken the time or made the leap to do any real composing yet. That's something I have to work towards in the coming decade [laughs].

I play every summer at [the] Tanglewood [Music Festival, in Massachusetts, in the United States]. This will be my 19th. My favourite venue is the Royal Albert Hall in London. This year I'm doing The Last Night of the Proms, which is televised around the world. The Proms series is one example of an informal space for great music. Concerts are played almost every night of summer. The front seats are taken away and the audience stands up front like at a rock concert. Young people love it; they feel comfortable yet the music is totally classical, serious.

Classical artists are not nearly as recognisable to the general public as pop stars, but their careers last much longer usually, well, except for Paul McCartney. Pop stars, they could be famous one day and three years later you don't hear from them any more. It's the nature of that business. With the classical world, once you're established there tends to be more longevity in your career. For me, it's just the right amount of fame. It's fun to be recognised a couple of times a day in New York, but not every second, like Madonna. But then, she asks for it as well.

In January, I busked at L'Enfant Plaza station in Washington. It was a journalist's idea. He asked me to do it for his article [as an] experiment. I think some people misinterpreted the idea - they thought it was about people recognising me. It didn't have anything to do with fame. It had more to do with whether people's ears are open to music if they're not expecting it. I played classical pieces for 40 minutes. [The journalist] followed people and interviewed them afterwards to see what they were thinking, if they even heard it.

I wasn't surprised that most people didn't pay attention. One of the problems with society today is music is in the background all the time. People have their iPods, there's music in restaurants, music playing as if it's wallpaper. People become desensitised. It is not the way music is supposed to be appreciated.

The longest I'll lay my violin down is for two weeks, which is a lot. Some people can't imagine putting it down ever. Practice is maintenance - it's not just about learning new things; it's about trying to keep what you have. It's the same way Tiger Woods gets up early and practises hours every day. I tend to concentrate on different things, practising slowly and focusing on small details, so when

I get on stage I can throw it all away, forget about it and think about the big picture. That can only happen when you've done all the detail work beforehand.

After 27 years of touring, I've got friends all over the world. My favourite part about touring is the variety of people I meet and seeing old friends. Eating is one of my favourite things to do. In Hong Kong, I've been to some of the fancier places in hotels. We recently went to Yung Kee for roast meats. Sometimes it is the little places my friends take me to that I like best.

Going back to New York is always a great feeling, because it's such a special city. I've spent two years renovating my apartment in New York. I bought [near] Union Square. I've gutted it and am rebuilding it to include a chef's kitchen. I want to learn to cook. I have friends who are chefs. I visited [US celebrity chef] Ming Tsai at the food and wine festival in Aspen recently to play golf. I love meeting chefs and I love eating at a restaurant where you know the chef. When I finish my apartment, my dream is to have house concerts and soirees, with performances by myself and friends, maybe for charity, and have someone like Ming come and cook. That's a dream evening.

I'm more of an evening person. I have to be at my best at 8pm or 9pm. At 10.30pm, I'm usually still pumped from a concert. I usually have dinner then. I go to sleep at two or three in the morning. I rarely get eight hours' straight sleep. Naps are vital to me.

I hope to have a family sometime. Maybe if I do that, I'll slow down a bit.'