On 21 September 1960, a concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London introduced Britten to the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The programme included the British premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto, performed by Rostropovich, alongside Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. The two composers shared a ceremonial audience box. Shostakovich later confided to Rostropovich:
| Date of composition | 1961 (December 1960 - January 1961) |
| Premiered | 1961, July 7th (Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh, Aldeburgh Festival) in Aldeburgh, United Kingdom |
| Dedicated to | 'For Mstislav Rostropovich' |
| Type | Sonata |
| Tonality | C Major |
| Catalogue | BTC 1100 |
| Approx. duration | 18 minutes |
| Instruments |
Cello
Piano |
| Autotranslations beta |
Benjamin Britten: Sonate pour violoncelle en do majeur, BTC 1100 Benjamin Britten: Sonata per violoncello in do maggiore, BTC 1100 Benjamin Britten: Sonate für Violoncello C-dur, BTC 1100 |