Mischa Maisky, 75 today

Mischa Maisky, 75 today

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

January 10, 2023

The cellist seems to have cracked the secret of eternal youth.

Official birthday portrait by Bernard Rosenberg.

A Latvian with Israeli citizenship and Belgian residence, he studied in Moscow with Mstistlav Rostropovich until the Soviets jailed him, then slammed him in a mental hospital. He fled the country in 1972, debuted at Carnegie Hall the following year and has been a light of our musical life ever since.

Comments

  • Jan Kaznowski says:

    ==the secret of eternal youth.

    Would love to know. Green tea, tumeric , no alcohol ?

    Compare with what a wreck Bernstein looked like at just 70

  • kaa12840 says:

    Many happy returns. great cellist. wonderful interview on Living the Classical Life. Mentors not only Rostropovich but also Piatigorsky!!

  • Ludwig's Van says:

    Yes the Soviets put him in jail, but not for nothing: he was openly selling foreign currency – not smart!

    • Luiz F. says:

      Yeah, what a crime to sell strong currency in the scarce, merciless, authoritarian system of the stalinist soviet Russia. How can he be forgiven for such abhorrent behavior?

  • Peter says:

    The secret of eternal youth, and ever growing hair.
    At half his age I was still envious. What do Maisky, Isserlis, and Rattle know that the rest of us don’t.

  • C says:

    Many happy returns to a wonderful cellist. I had no idea he was 75 – he has an extremely youthful character! Must find out his skin care routine…

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