Mstislav Rostropovich

Mstislav Rostropovich was a Russian cellist, pianist, conductor, pedagogue and political figure whose international performances and public appearances symbolized the struggle of intellectuals against the rigid Soviet Communism. He was born Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich on March 27, 1927, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union. His father, Leopold Rostropovich, was a notable musician and pedagogue of Polish nobility descent. His mother was a concert pianist of Russian-Jewish heritage. His teachers at Moscow Conservatory were Dmitri Shostakovich, and Sergei Prokofiev, and both became his main musical influences for life. In 1951 Rostropovich was awarded the State Stalin's Prize, after his numerous victories at international competitions and a growing stream of recognition and acclaim. in 1955 he married opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya who was a member of Bolshoi Theatre. At that time his stage partners were such musicians as Svyatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels along with his wife Galin