Mstislav Rostropovich

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Rostropovich Dead at 80
Rostropovich Dead at 80
Apr 27, 2007 2:23 PM CDT

Rostropovich Dead at 80

Conductor, cellist and champion of artistic freedom dies in his native Russia

(Newser) - Cellist, conductor, and one-time Soviet gadfly Mstislav Rostropovich, who used to instruct his orchestras to "play as if you are being tickled in the sides," died today in Moscow. Rostropovich, whose 17-year-run as the head of the National Symphony Orchestra tranformed it from a middling ensemble to one...

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