'The goal is God,' says new Pittsburgh Symphony music director

Published: 2008-05-19

PITTSBURGH (CNS) -- Manfred Honeck, the new music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, said he has come to understand how God has worked in his life and led him to where he is. He strives to be true to his Catholic faith. "Put God in the center of your life," he said. "Then everything will come naturally." Honeck, 49, attends Mass several times a week. While he said the Pittsburgh Symphony's reputation was the most important factor in his decision to accept the new post, he noted that the strong Catholic presence in the area also figured in. Among the influences on his faith have been the lives of the saints. In reading about figures such as St. Augustine and St. Francis of Assisi, he has been impressed that none of them regarded themselves as saints, but rather as normal people. "There is one goal for them, and I identified myself so much with this goal," he said. "The goal is God." Honeck and his wife, Christiane, have six children and live in Altach, Austria.

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