Dmitri Hvorostovsky, acclaimed Serbian opera singer, died Wednesday at age 55 of brain cancer, The New York Times reported.
His death was confirmed on Hvorostovsky’s official Facebook page.
"On behalf of the Hvorostovsky family, it is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dmitri Hvorostovsky – beloved operatic baritone, husband, father, son, and friend – at age 55," the post said. "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 internationally acclaimed baritone enjoyed a highly successful career that spanned decades and included various accolades.
According to Hvorostovsky’s biography, "audiences were bowled over by his cultivated voice, innate sense of musical line and natural legato." His story of overcoming adversity also resonated with the public.
The New York Times noted that the acclaimed singer had escaped a life of crime with street gangs during his teenage years growing up in a Siberian city.
He found his voice at a time when the region was culturally isolated from the rest of the world. He also overcame a drinking problem that threatened his career and, after being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2015, still fit in performances during a break in his treatment.
Hvorostovsky officially retired from the opera stage at the end of 2016 and made his final public appearance in a "Dmitri and Friends" concert at Austria’s Grafenegg Festival in June, noted Askonas Holt, the talent management agency that represented him.
In a statement, the agency said, "It has been a great joy and an honour for our colleagues to have worked with Dmitri over the past three decades, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with Dmitri’s family and friends."
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