On the passing of Dmitri Hvorostovsky

The Vienna State Opera is deeply affected by the loss of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who passed away close to London this morning, Wednesday 22 November 2017, among his family, following a long and serious illness.

„This is a very, very sad day for all of us at the Wiener Staatsoper. With Dmitri Hvorostovsky we lost an outstanding singer and a real friend. It is with great wistfulness that we remember his memorable Wiener Staatsoper performances – as Jago, Posa, Eugen Onegin, Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra i.a.. Or his last performance in La Traviata in November 2016, when he sang the role of Giorgio Germont so touchingly and beautifully – he was so strong, even though he was already suffering under this disease. I especially admire the wonderful way in which he carried himself during this terrible illness” says Vienna State Opera Director Dominique Meyer – “Dima leaves a great void behind. He will stay in our memories as an exceptional artist who always gave a hundred percent – and as a person who enriched us with his laughter, his joy, his warm-heartedness, his positive manner and his generosity. To his wife Florence and to his children we, the entire Wiener Staatsoper family, express our deepest sympathy.”

Dmitri Hvorostvsky debuted at the Wiener Staatsoper on 2 May 1994 as Riccardo Forth (I puritani); his roles at the Staatsoper include Posa (Don Carlo), Rigoletto, Simon Boccanegra, Jeletzki (Pique Dame), Eugen Onegin, Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Otello, Ankarström (Un ballo in maschera) as well as Giorgio Germont (La traviata). Overall he sang 10 different roles in 72 performances. Giorgio Germont was the role he sang on his last evening at the Wiener Staatsoper, on 29 November 2016; he had to cancel all his further planned performances due to his brain tumour.