Dmitri Hvorostovsky [b. 1962] is an operatic baritone from Russia, born and raised in the far-flung Siberian outpost of Krasnoyarsk, the 19th century center of the Cossack movement. He made his professional debut at the civic opera house there, singing a minor role in the Verdi opera, Rigoletto. However, it was his success at winning vocal competitions that brought him onto the world stage, where he continues today as one of the most in-demand baritones in all of opera.
Hvorostovsky took first place in the Glinka Competition [Russia] in 1987 and also won the International Singing Competition of Toulouse [France] in 1988. The 1989 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition proved to be his greatest triumph of all, where he edged out Welsh favorite son Bryn Terfel for the crystal vase and a first-place finish. After that, the offers rolled in; he made his London recital debut later the same year, and first appeared in New York in 1990.
The first opera house outside Russia to feature Hvorostovsky in a starring role was in Nice, France, where he sang in a 1989 production of Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. His Italian debut was at La Fenice in Venice as the title character in another Tchaikovsky opera, Eugene Onegin—a role he has performed many times since, including a highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera appearance in 2008 alongside Renée Fleming—and his American debut came with Chicago’s Lyric Opera in 1993 in Verdi’s La traviata.
Most of the roles Hvorostovsky has preferred over the past decade have been in Verdi operas, including Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Count di Luna in Il trovatore, and the title roles in Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra. But he has continued to maintain strong musical contact with Russia, including a Moscow concert series titled “Dmitri Hvorostovky and Friends” that has featured him in recital with the aforementioned Fleming, plus sopranos Sumi Jo, Sondra Radvanovsky, and others. He was also the first opera singer to headline a concert in Red Square—accompanied by a chorus and full orchestra—that was broadcast to more than 25 countries. Hvorostovsky teamed up with Fleming again in 2009 in a DVD release that combined a visual tour of St. Petersburg with a dual recital at the Hermitage in front of a small but very appreciative audience. Several of his CDs have included collections of Russian songs by classical composers as well as folk tunes.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings “Eri tu che macchiavi” from Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera to win the 1989 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World award:
Hvorostovsky & Fleming perform the Act IV duet from Verdi’s Il trovatore at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia [2009]:
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