Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich

Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich was a Soviet and Russian cellist, pianist, conductor, composer, teacher, and public figure. Mstislav Rostropovich was born in Baku. His parents were musicians: his father was a cellist, his mother a pianist. Rostropovich's musical talent manifested itself in early childhood — already at the age of four he improvised at the piano, picked out complex melodies by ear, and composed his own pieces. At the age of eight he began to learn the cello. In 1932 the family moved to Moscow, and in 1934 seven-year-old Mstislav became a student at the Gnessin Music School, where his father taught.

 

His debut on the big stage took place at the age of twelve — the young cellist performed Saint-Saëns's Concerto with a symphony orchestra. After finishing music school he continued his studies at the music college affiliated with the Moscow Conservatory. The war years the family spent evacuated in Chkalov (now Orenburg). Upon returning to Moscow in 1946, Rostropovich completed his studies and graduated with honors from two departments — composition and the cello class. His further education continued in postgraduate studies, after which he began teaching at the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatories.

 

In the late 1940s Rostropovich began his concert career in the USSR, and later abroad. International recognition came to him after victories at prestigious competitions. Mstislav Rostropovich passed away in 2007 at the age of 80 and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.