Mischa Maisky was born in 1948 in Riga, Latvian SSR, and studied at the Moscow Conservatory from 1966 to 1970 under Mstislav Rostropovich, later also studying with Gregor Piatigorsky in Los Angeles. After emigrating from the Soviet Union, he made his U.S. debut at Carnegie Hall in 1973 and his London debut in 1976, going on to build a major international solo career.

Maisky is one of the few cellists to have studied with both Rostropovich and Piatigorsky, and he has been a prolific Deutsche Grammophon recording artist, releasing a 44-CD retrospective box set in 2021. Known for his intensely romantic, vibrato-rich style, he has collaborated extensively with artists such as Martha Argerich and performed with several of his own children, who are also professional musicians.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mischa_Maisky