Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich was a Russian cellist and conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since. He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces, forming long-standing friendships and artistic partnerships with composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutosławski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris, Leonard Bernstein, Aram Khachaturian, and Benjamin Britten.
Mstislav Rostropovich
House in Baku, where Rostropovich was born
Mstislav Rostropovich, 18 September 1959
Rostropovich playing the Duport Stradivarius at the White House in 1978
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded as a major composer.
Shostakovich in 1950
Birthplace of Shostakovich (now School No. 267). Commemorative plaque at left.
Shostakovich in 1925
Production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Helikon Opera in 2014