David Hardy, principal cello of the National Symphony Orchestra, grew up admiring and listening to recordings by Mstislav Rostropovich. In honor of his hero, he will perform Henri Dutilleux’s “Tout un monde lointain” (“A whole world distant”) composed for Rostropovich and premiered by him in 1970. Rostropovich loved the piece so much that, after becoming the NSO music director, he performed it twice with the NSO in the Kennedy Center and once in Carnegie Hall. Hardy’s choice of this work seems prophetic: Dutilleux died just three weeks ago at the age of 97.

“This is a very difficult piece and so worth it,” Hardy said. “Maestro Eschenbach and I had been talking about what I might do. Rostropovich and I discussed the work many times. Of all those he commissioned, he thought this was the best. When I think back about his years at NSO, he was a giant. As a cellist who had listened to all his recordings, being appointed by him to join the NSO was remarkable. He was a great teacher and we had a great connection.”