Legendary Russian Opera Singer Dmitri Hvorostovsky Dead at 55

Dmitri Hvorostovsky died in London at 3:36 am London time, RIA Novosti reports, citing Russian musician Dmitry Malikov. His family has confirmed his passing.

After his opera debut in "The Queen of Spades" by Dmitry Tchaikovsky in Nice in 1989, Hvorostovsky was invited to perform at the world's best opera houses and participate in recognized opera festivals such as the Royal Theater of Covent Garden (London, UK), Metropolitan Opera (New York, USA), Paris Opera, Bavarian State Opera (Munich, Germany), La Scala (Milan, Italy), the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival.

In Russia, Hvorostovsky was beloved by millions of classical music fans, and for his baritone renditions of songs about the Great Patriotic War, including 'On a Nameless Hill', 'Cranes', and 'Somewhere Far Away'.

Fans in Russia, the former Soviet Union and from around the world have expressed an outpouring of grief over his passing. 

"Dmitri Hvorostovsky has died. He was an outstanding and very talented singer, and simply a good person. He struggled with his illness for a very long time and, unfortunately, unsuccessfully. Eternal memory."

"Dmitri Hvorostovsky, this mighty voice of Krasnoyarsk, died today. This is a huge tragedy for the entire Russian school of opera, for world opera as a whole. He was released to death following a terrible illness. Rest in peace, Dmitri…"