Rostropovich

This is one of my heroes. I met Rostropovich for the first time in 1985 in Toronto. He had played the Dvorak Cello Concerto. My own teacher had studied with Rostropovich and sent me to the concert with a greeting to pass along. I met him again on several occasions after that, the most memorable being here in my own town of Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan, where he performed the Hadyn Cello Concerto in C and Tchaikovsky's Roccoco Variations, under Seiji Osawa. It was a private concert, only about 200 people attended, outside in the August heat.

The most memorable CD I have is his recording of the Dvorak with Von Karajan conducting. Powerful, astonishing, beautiful, breath taking...

His death, a few months ago, brings much sadness. From my childhood, he was the cellist to listen to.

I will practise more... I promise!