Biography

When he first performed at New York's Alice Tully Hall in 1990, so many musical professionals wanted to see and hear him that, reportedly, few tickets were left for the general public. He debuted at the Metropolitan Opera (New York) in 1995 as Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades." It became the iconic role of his Russian repertoire, along with the title role in Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin." He was also famous for his Verdi roles.

He was a Russian operatic baritone. In 1989, he defeated the Welsh bass-baritone and hometown favorite Bryn Terfel in the Singer of the World Competition in Wales. The coup transformed him from the pride of Siberia into a star of the opera world.

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1991].

Had five children: a daughter Mariya Khvorostovskaya (adopted her after marrying her mother) and twins, a son Danila Khvorostovskiy and a daughter Aleksandra Khvorostovskaya (b. 1996) with his late ex-wife Svetlana Khvorostovskaya (1959-2014); a son Maksim Khvorostovskiy (b. 2003) and a daughter Nina Khvorostovskaya (b. 2007) with his second wife (now widow) Florans Khvorostovskaya.

Hvorostovskiy died on November 22, 2017 in London after a two-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer just one month after his 55th birthday.