Rostropovich, Mstislav (Leopoldovich) (1927-2007)

Russian cellist, pianist, and conductor. He left the USSR in 1974 and was deprived of his Soviet citizenship in 1978 because of his sympathies with political dissidents. From 1977 to 1994 he directed the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC.

He studied at the Moscow Conservatory, where he became a professor in 1957. He rapidly acquired a worldwide reputation as a soloist. He is also an accomplished pianist, and often accompanied his wife, the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. They were obliged to leave Russia in 1974, but returned following the collapse of communism in 1991, taking an active part in politics and humanitarian activities. He made his debut as conductor at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow in 1968, and in London in 1974. Sergey Prokofiev and Dmitry Shostakovich wrote concertos for him, Benjamin Britten the three suites for solo cello and cello symphony. As a conductor he has premiered works by Alfred Schnittke (Life with an Idiot and Gesualdo), and Krzysztof Penderecki (Polish Requiem).