Mstislav Rostropovich
is internationally acclaimed and acknowledged as one of the world's greatest living cellists. He has given countless memorable performances and has inspired the world's leading composers to enlarge and enrich the standard cello repertoire with works specially composed for and dedicated to him. These include works by Britten, Bliss, Khachaturian, Lutoslawski, Prokofiev and Shostakovich. Rostropovich was soloist in the premieres of Prokofiev's second Cello Concerto in 1952, Shostakovich's two Cello Concertos in 1959 and 1966, Britten's Cello Symphony in 1964 and Bliss's Cello Concerto in 1970. Many other works have been written for him and today his repertoire includes more than 50 concertos, ranging from the baroque, through the classical and romantic periods, to the avant-garde. As a cellist, Rostropovich is noted for his commanding technique and intense, visionary playing.

Rostropovich was born in Baku, Azerbaijan in 1927. At the age of four he started piano lessons with his mother and shortly afterwards began to study the cello with his father. He continued under his father's tuition at the Central Music School in Moscow and then went on to the Moscow Conservatoire, where in addition to his cello and piano studies he began to conduct. He made his public debut as a cellist in 1942 at the age of 15 and was immediately recognized as a potentially great artist. When the war ended his reputation soon spread outside the USSR, principally through his recordings, and when he began touring in the West it was soon apparent that in Rostropovich the world had a natural successor to the great Pablo Casals, who had reigned as the supreme cellist for more than half a century.

Rostropovich has also won outstanding acclaim as a conductor, appearing with most of the world's leading orchestras, as well as conducting and recording many operas, including Queen of Spades, Eugene Onegin, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Tosca. Since 1977 he has been Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington. He appears regularly in the UK with the London Symphony Orchestra (he made his UK conducting debut in 1974) and with other leading British orchestras. The London Symphony Orchestra have forged close links with Rostropovich through major festivals which have made an enormous impact on London's musical life. Rostropovich was a close friend of Sergei Prokofiev and was the inspiration behind the LSO's Sergei Prokofiev: The Centenary Festival 1991, featuring orchestral and chamber music, and the world premiere of a cello fugue dedicated to Rostropovich. In 1993 Rostropovich led the Festival of Britten with the LSO, appearing both as conductor and soloist. Other events with the LSO have included Rostropovich's 60th Birthday series in 1987 and Shostakovich: Music from the Flames in 1988. Both on the cello and on the conductor's rostrum, Rostropovich is considered one of the leading interpreters of the music of Shostakovich (with whom he studied composition), Britten, and Prokofiev.

Mstislav Rostropovich is one of the world's most outspoken defenders of human and artistic freedoms. In 1974, after a period of four years during which the writer Solzhenitsyn resided in their home, Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya left the Soviet Union at their own request. Since then he has devoted much time and has given numerous performances to support humanitarian efforts around the world. In 1990, after an absence of 16 years, he made a triumphant return to the Soviet Union with the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington, giving concerts in Washington and Leningrad to enormous acclaim. During the coup of August 1991 the strength of his attachment to his native Russia compelled him to fly, without a visa, to Moscow, to spend those momentous days in the Russian Parliament building and on the streets, where he was hailed as a national hero.

Mstislav Rostropovich holds over 40 honorary degrees and over 30 different nations have bestowed more than 130 major awards and decorations upon him. These include the German Order of Merit, the Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society, the Lenin Prize, the Annual Award of the League of Human Rights, the ÆPreamium Imperiale from the Japan Arts Association and the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. (Source: Cello.org)

London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra performs over 120 concerts a year and was named by Gramophone as one of the top five orchestras in the world. The LSO has an enviable family of artists; our conductors include Sir Colin Davis as President, Valery Gergiev as Principal Conductor, and André Previn as Conductor Laureate. We also have long-standing relationships with some of the leading musicians in the world – Leonidas Kavakos, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Mitsuko Uchida and Maria João Pirez amongst others, not to mention our own talented players. The LSO is widely acclaimed by audiences and critics alike.

The LSO is proud to be Resident Orchestra at the Barbican, where we perform around 70 concerts a year. The residency has enabled us to establish a truly loyal audience and to fulfil many artistic aspirations. Joint projects between the Orchestra and the Barbican, including Festival 2012 concerts with Wynton Marsalis, Sir Simon Rattle and Gilberto Gil, place us at the heart of the Centre’s programme. The LSO also enjoys successful residencies at the Lincoln Center in New York, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Our tour destinations also include China, Canada, South Korea and the United States, plus many major European cities.

The LSO is set apart from other international orchestras by the depth of its commitment to music education, reaching over 60,000 people each year. LSO Discovery enables us to offer people of all ages opportunities to get involved in music-making and to enter the extraordinary sound world of the Orchestra. Recent projects include LSO On Track, a long-term investment inspired by the London 2012 Olympics with lasting impact for young musicians in East London which saw participants performing Elgar’s Nimrod alongside LSO players in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. LSO St Luke’s, the UBS and LSO Music Education Centre, is the home of LSO Discovery, and host to chamber and solo recitals, dance, folk music and more.

LSO Live is the most successful label of its kind in the world. There are now 80 LSO Live releases available globally on CD, SACD and online. Valery Gergiev’s release of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet won BBC Music Magazine’s Best Orchestra Recording award in April 2011, and Sir Colin Davis’ Verdi Otello was shortlisted for a 2011 Gramophone award.

The LSO is a world-leader in recording music for film, television and events, and is the official Orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Ceremonies. The LSO appeared on stage in the Opening Ceremony with Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle performing Chariots of Fire. The LSO has recorded music for films including Pixar’s latest, Brave, four of the Harry Potter movies including The Deathly Hallows Parts I and II, The Queen, The Ides of March, The King’s Speech, all six Star Wars movies, Superman, Thor, Nanny McPhee and hundreds more.