He served as the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in Washington, D.

NPR: On Rostropovich: Cellists Remember a Master

An abundance of good amateur choruses has meant the NSO can tackle big choral works and, more recently, opera.

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Many friendships are formed during these late night talks, and because you have no classes during NSO, you should enjoy them without fear of falling asleep in class.

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And in a dramatic reversal, in 1990 President Mikhail Gorbachev reinstated the couple's citizenship, and Rostropovich triumphantly returned to his homeland on tour with the NSO, where he was greeted enthusiastically at the Moscow Conservatory.

NPR: On Rostropovich: Cellists Remember a Master