Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (1927 ? 2007), known to close friends as ?Slava?, was a Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century.
Early years
Rostropovich was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, USSR, to ethnic Russian parents who moved there from Orenburg. His father, Leopold, wa