Interview 3: Christopher Mattheisen, Former Chairman & CEO, Magyar Telekom

  • 24 Jul 2015 12:00 PM
Interview 3: Christopher Mattheisen, Former Chairman & CEO, Magyar Telekom
1. What is your fondest musical memory? Catching the 1977 Police concert in America.

2. When did you start playing guitar, and singing, and why?
Age 15, to impress girls, but didn’t start singing until the age of 30.

3. What was the first tune you learned?
"Play That Funky Music…an easy song.

4. What are your main musical influences?
"Lyle Lowett, and Elvis Costello – met him backstage recently.

5. Which musician do you admire most and why?
Lyle Lowett. I like him because the intelligent and witty way he mixes Country and Blues, in such a funny way.

6. Who are your favorite bands of all time?
The Band, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.


7. How often do you practice playing music?
Not enough, definitely not enough.

8. Do you write music, and lyrics, and if so what is your inspiration?
I do but never performed them, so just for myself.

9. What music do you like listening to these days?
Unknown Mortal Orchestra from West Coast – it’s great. Jimmy Nail, and Ray XYZ - he is really good, actually he might be my favourite right now.

10. What were your best and worst moments over the last 12 months?
Best: moving to downtown Budapest. Worst: the internet tax issue.


11. What is your most treasured possession?
A musical instrument, a Gibson L5 guitar.

12. What was the luckiest moment in your life so far?
Probably meeting up with my current band, I met János Suga at a reception at Westel, his background is also working in Telcoms, he was with Motorola.

13. What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought?
My home.

14. What behaviour do you most like and dislike in others?
Politeness, and dishonesty.


15. How do you like to relax?
Music.

16. If anything, what might keep you awake at night?
I sleep very well.


17. What single thing would improve your quality of life?
Let me get back to you on that :-) 
 

18. What are you looking forward to most and least in 2015?
Running a marathon.


19. What was your funniest musical incident?
I had a band when I was a teenager, and broke a 20 dollar guitar on the stage, and then the audience expected our base player smash his expensive one…

20. What question would you ask if you interviewed yourself?
What is the most embarrassing thing ever happened to you? But I am not going to answer it!


Related links:

Xpat Interview: Christopher Mattheisen

Interview 2: Christopher Mattheisen, Chairman & CEO, Magyar Telekom

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