Dmitri Kabalevsky composed two cello concertos. He is primarily a pianist and composer for piano. Kabalevsky had a career as a music educator, composer and member of the International Society for Music Education (ISME). Kabalevsky's works have been regarded unfavorably by many because of his associations and allegiance with the Communist Party and is referred to by some as a "Soviet Composer", who was "self-serving, sly, and opportunistic to the extreme." However, his compositions including the two cello concertos are widely used by various students around the world to learn technique and musicality.