Born in 1927, Baku of the former Soviet (present Azerbaijan) under the parents of Celister's father and pianist's mother. Started cello at the age of seven, studied cello at the Moscow Conservatory with Kozorupov and composer Shostakovich. After graduation he taught at his alma mater and was appointed professor in 1956. In the same year it will be a worldwide presence by making great success in the performance trip in Europe and the United States. With all the repertoire in hands and giving a lot of excitement especially to the excellent composers of the 20th century especially with outstanding techniques, 170 works have been dedicated from the master of Hachachulyan, Britain, Dutilleux, Bernstein etc. .
He made his debut as a conductor in 1961. Since 1977, he has served as Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington for 17 seasons, and has been active with famous orchestras around the world.
He is also an avid human rights defender, in 1970 defended writer Solzhenitsyn and fought with the Soviet government, went outside the country in 1974 and lives in the USA. Received the International Human Rights Alliance Award this year. It is deprived of Soviet citizenship in 1978, but recovered in 1990, led the National Symphony Orchestra the same year, holding a concert in the mother country in 16 years and the historical success. In the case of the attempted Moscow coup d'etat in 1991, along with President Boris Yeltsin (then) he supported the Russian parliamentary group with the Russian republic's government building surrounded by military. A Russian National Honor Award was awarded to this action.
Known as a Japanophile, he loved sumo wrestling, a representative of Japanese culture, and visited the Tsukiji fish auction every time he came to Japan. He has a deep respect for the Japanese Imperial Family, and is visiting Japan to celebrate the 70th birthday of Her Majesty Empress Michiko.
Encounter with Seiji Ozawa was performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1965. Afterwards friendship was also thick, and joined the conductor of the New Japan Philharmonic as "Friend of Seiji" in 1995. In 1998, in addition to realizing "Shostakovich Festival" in Tokyo, he performed a Russian performance with New Japan Philharmonic & Seiji Ozawa and became a bridge between Japan and Russia. In December 2006, the Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 10 of Shostakovich was supervised by the New Japan Philum Regular Concert, and this concert will be the last concert of his life.
An 80 - year - old celebration party was held in Kremlin in 2007 but one month later he passed away in Moscow on 27th April. It is now buried in the city's Nopodewich monastery.
More than 40 honorary degrees, more than 130 awards and medals from more than 30 countries, including the Intermediate of the British Empire, Medal of Legion · Honor of France, Stalin Prize, Lenin Prize, US Presidential Freedom Medal, etc. Besides, in Japan there are the Takamatsu Honorable Memorial World Cultural Award, Asahi Jun Mitsuaki etc.
Rostropovich is popular with the nickname of "Slava" throughout the world, is a great cellist representing conductor since the late 20th century and is a conductor.
