Free Republic

Legendary cellist and teacher renowned for his focused playing and aristocratic style passes at the age of 88. Born in Budapest in 1924, János Starker was given a cello at the age of five and soon proved to be a child prodigy making his first appearances at the age of seven. He trained under Adolf Schiffer at the Franz Liszt Academy where his teachers included Leo Weiner, Kodály, Bartók and Dohnányi. By the age of 12 he had five pupils of his own.

Bernard Greenhouse, an internationally acclaimed cellist and a founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio, died on Friday at his home in Wellfleet, Mass., on Cape Cod. He was 95.

Legendary cellist Rostropovich dies 1 hour, 6 minutes ago Legendary Russian cellist and emblem of resistance to the Soviet system Mstislav Rostropovich died Friday, his spokeswoman told AFP. He was 80. "He died in hospital today," Natalya Dolezhal said. Rostropovich had been ill for some time and had been receiving treatment at a Moscow cancer clinic. He was born in Baku and studied in Moscow under the celebrated composers Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev. He went on to a glittering international career, much of it spent abroad after he was persecuted, then expelled in 1974 by the Soviet authorities. He...

YO! I'M FOR DUBYAClassical Musician Yo-Yo Ma and R&B star Brian McKnight, speaking on the Grammys red carpet, talk about their support for President George W. BushVideo Presentation