MOSCOW (AFP).- World-famous Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky died on Wednesday in London following a long illness, according to announcements on his Facebook page and by the Vienna State Opera. He was 55.

"This is a very, very sad day for all of us... With Dmitri Hvorostovsky we lost an outstanding singer and a real friend," Vienna State Opera director Dominique Meyer said.

Hvorostovsky, tall and striking with a shock of silver hair and famous for his interpretations of Italian and Russian repertoire in particular, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015, but continued to perform.

A message on Hvorostovsky's Facebook page on behalf of his family announced the passing of the "beloved operatic baritone, husband, father, son, and friend".

"After a two-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer, he died peacefully this morning, November 22, surrounded by family near his home in London, UK. May the warmth of his voice and his spirit always be with us," the message said.

Born in Siberia in 1962, Hvorostovsky sang in a heavy metal band before making his opera debut in Verdi's "Rigoletto" in Russia.

He burst onto the international scene in 1989 when he won the Cardiff Singer of the World competition and went on to wow audiences in all the world's major opera houses.

His gave his final concert in his native Krasnoyarsk this summer, with his arm in a sling due to a shoulder injury, following the event being pushed back three times due to health complications.

"I'm sure there is no life after death. There is only one life that we have to live on first try, to attempt to leave a mark and be happy. Because you won't get a second chance," he said in an interview to Rossiyskaya Gazeta last year.

'A huge void'
A charismatic performer with handsome looks and a generous smile, Hvorostovsky was recognised for his supple and technically flawless singing and became a national favourite in Russia by branching out from classic opera to French and Russian popular ballads.

He sometimes sang in the Kremlin, and President Vladimir Putin offered "deep condolences," calling Hvorostovsky's music "heritage of not just Russian but world culture".
Hvorostovsky had lived in London for many years, and the Royal Opera said it would dedicate the opening night of Rigoletto next month to his memory.

"He graced our stage with genuine flair and generosity towards his public," the opera house's music director Antonio Pappano said. "His passing leaves a huge void."

Meyer said he remembered Hvorostovsky's many memorable performances in Vienna, in particular his last one in November 2016 in "La Traviata".

Hvorostovsky "sang the role of Giorgio Germont so touchingly and beautifully –- he was so strong, even though he was already suffering under this disease," Meyer said.

"I especially admire the wonderful way in which he carried himself during this terrible illness," he added.

The Vienna State Opera flew the black flag in mourning and will hold a minute of silence before Wednesday's performance of "Salome" by Richard Strauss.

Hvorostovsky is survived by his wife Florence, two grown twin children from his first marriage and two smaller children.


© Agence France-Presse