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Russian baritone Dmitri Aleksandrovich Hvorostovsky was born on 16 October 1962 at Krasnoyarsk in Siberia, where he studied with Yekaterina Yofel at the Krasnoyarsk School of Arts and made his debut performance at the Krasnoyarsk Opera House as Marullo in Rigoletto.
He won a series of competitions: the Russian Glinka Competition (1987), the Toulouse Singing Competition (1988) and the Cardiff Singer of the World competition (1989), launching an international career during which he sang at almost every major opera house. Later he specialised in singing Verdi on stage.
Following a battle with brain cancer, Dmitri Hvorostovsky died in London UK on 22 November 2017, aged fifty-five, leaving a number of CD and video recordings.
Castaway - Peter King muses on the needs of the modern desert island recluse
Ensemble. A Soothing Balm on our Troubled Time - Maria Nockin connects to Renée Fleming and Robert Ainsley's Metropolitan Opera recital from the Dumbarton Oaks Museum music salon in Washington DC
Ensemble. Authentic Performance - Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Close to Perfection - 'Il Trovatore' live in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Ask Alice - Restricted view recommended for Verdi's 'Un ballo in maschera' at Covent Garden, by classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
Ensemble. Different Styles - Antonio Pappano's 'Un Ballo in Maschera' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Relatively Coarse - Verdi's 'La traviata' from New York Metropolitan Opera in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Very Credible - Verdi's 'Il Trovatore' from New York Metropolitan Opera in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin