Childhood and youth
Dmitry Hvorostovsky was born on October 16, 1962 in Krasnoyarsk. His parents, by the standards of the Soviet Union, had very prestigious professions: his father Alexander Stepanovich was a chemical engineer, and his mother Lyudmila Petrovna worked as a gynecologist in a hospital.
However, Alexander Stepanovich’s main hobby was music. The father of the young singer had a deep baritone, which Dmitry inherited, and played the piano beautifully. In the evenings, the Hvorostovsky family gathered in the living room, where Alexander Stepanovich sang with his wife, accompanying himself on the piano.
Dmitry Hvorostovsky began singing at the age of 4, performing ancient romances and folk songs. His idols were Ettore Bastianini, Tito Gobbi, Fyodor Chaliapin and Maria Callas, whose records his father collected.
Published by Evelina Avanesova Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Dmitry Hvorostovsky and his first wife Svetlana in his youth
When Dmitry went to secondary school, his parents decided to send their son to study piano at the same time. Studying was difficult for him; he could not boast of good grades. In the 10th grade, the future singer was given such an unflattering description that after graduation, Dmitry preferred not to remember his school years.
After receiving a certificate of secondary education, Hvorostovsky entered the Krasnoyarsk Pedagogical School named after A. M. Gorky in the music department. In his youth, Dmitry became interested in the fashionable style of music at that time - rock. He became the lead singer and keyboard player of the Rainbow group, which played in various styles in restaurants and clubs in Krasnoyarsk. The free lifestyle attracted him. At one time the guy even wanted to quit his studies, but changed his mind and successfully graduated from college, receiving a specialty as a music teacher.
In 1982, Hvorostovsky entered the Krasnoyarsk Institute of Arts in the vocal department. He got into the class of teacher Ekaterina Iofel thanks to the intercession of friends, since there were simply no empty seats in Iofel’s group. Thanks to his perseverance, the guy managed to become one of the teacher’s best students. During his studies, Dmitry never missed a class. In 1988, the singer graduated from the Music Institute with honors.
Florence Illi-Hvorostovskaya
She was married to Dmitry since 2001 and lived with him in a happy marriage for 16 years. Their children together help her cope with the loss of her husband. It was on them that she concentrated all her attention, raising them.
During his lifetime, the singer was diagnosed with an incurable disease. But the wife did not leave her husband for a second, but supported him until the very end. She spent all her free time with him, enjoying every moment together. As he himself said, Florence changed his life for the better, filling it with bright colors. She helped him find inner balance and find true happiness.
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Personal life
Dmitry met his first wife, ballerina Svetlana Ivanova, at the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater. The young singer was crazy about the dancer, who at that time was divorced and raising a child on her own. This fact did not bother Dmitry at all; 2 years after the start of their romance, he moved her to his room in a communal apartment, and in 1989 they got married.
The couple moved to London, where in 1996 they had twins - daughter Alexandra and son Danila. Later, the boy adopted his father's youthful love of rock. Today he has his own musical group. Sasha became an artist.
Soon the relationship began to crack. Svetlana refused to learn English and help her husband develop his career, because initially he planned to make her his director. The singer began to abuse alcohol little by little and developed a stomach ulcer.
Published by Evelina Avanesova Thursday, January 25, 2018
Dmitry Hvorostovsky and wife Florence Illy with children
In 1999, Hvorostovsky met singer Florence Illy, an Italian by nationality, during a rehearsal. The girl instantly fell in love with the talented singer, who was distinguished by his stature (Dmitry’s height is 193 cm) and masculinity. The singer began to make attempts to get closer to him, but Dmitry was still married at that time and could not reciprocate the girl’s feelings. As the artist’s wife later recalled, the first spark flashed between them during a kiss on stage - both sang in the opera “Don Giovanni”.
With Flosha, as the singer affectionately called his wife, his heart thawed: he remembered what love and tenderness were, and the romance of the candy-bouquet period began. When meeting Dmitry’s relatives, the girl made an indelible impression on them: the artist’s grandmother called her an angel. The personal life of the famous baritone flowed in a different direction.
He filed for divorce from Svetlana in 2001. Later, she sued her ex-husband for almost all of his property: a house in London, a car and an amount to support herself and her children in the amount of £170 thousand. In 2015, the woman died suddenly from meningitis suffered on her legs.
In the same 2001, Hvorostovsky and Illy began to live together. In 2003, the couple had a son, Maxim, and in 2007, a daughter, Nina. Florence accompanied Dmitry on tour, and sometimes they performed together at concerts.
How does the wife of the late artist live now?
After the death of her beloved Dima, Florence Illy tries to drive away dark thoughts and continue to lead her old life. Before his death, Hvorostovsky told her: “You must live for the sake of your children. You are still young." The actress is trying to fulfill her husband's last words. Now they and their children, as before, live in the UK. At the moment, quarantine measures have already been relaxed in the country - sports and walking on the street are allowed, provided that distance is maintained. Illy, together with Maxim and Nina, were planning a vacation in Florence’s homeland in Italy in July.
Career
In 1985, Dmitry was invited to the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater. At first, the young soloist was entrusted with the performance of minor parts. Soon, thanks to his unique voice and incredible talent, Hvorostovsky became the main voice of the operas of Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Gounod and Leoncavallo. A year later, the young opera star became a laureate first of the All-Russian Vocal Competition, and a few months later of the All-Union Competition.
After graduating from the institute, Dmitry decided to focus on Western listeners and build his career in Europe. He actively participated in international competitions, which played a certain role in the development of his creative biography.
In 1988, he visited France, making his debut on the stage of the opera house in Nice, and won an international competition held in the city of Toulouse. In 1989, the opera singer went to a popular international singing competition, which was held by the British television company BBC in the capital of Wales, Cardiff.
Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Igor Krutoy
Published by Prosto Natali Thursday, October 17, 2020
Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Igor Krutoy
For the first time in 4 years, a representative of the Russian opera participated in this festival. Hvorostovsky performed his favorite parts from the operas of Tchaikovsky and Verdi, which won the hearts of the audience. One of the jury members even compared the opera singer to the legendary performer Luciano Pavarotti. Such high marks provided Hvorostovsky with an undeniable victory and recognition throughout the world.
In 1990, the singer made his debut on the stage of the New York Nice Opera Theater in the production of “The Queen of Spades” by composer Tchaikovsky. Thanks to this concert, he was noticed by the record company Philips Classics, with which he signed a contract to record albums.
In total, the company has published more than 20 records, including both the singer’s solo programs and collections of arias from operas. The album “Black Eyes,” consisting of folk songs and romances, has long been one of the soloist’s most popular creations in the United States and Europe.
In 1994, Hvorostovsky moved to London, where he bought a five-story house, and a few years later received British citizenship.
Famous opera singers Anna Netrebko and Dmitry Hvorostovsky
Published by Tatyana Boyadzhieva Thursday, February 17, 2011
Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko
Hvorostovsky continued performing in the best opera houses in the world. Every year the singer toured around the world with solo programs, and also participated in numerous festivals and concerts. Dmitry signed a new contract with another American recording studio, Delos, which still publishes his albums to this day.
The opera singer also did not forget about his homeland. In 2004, Dmitry Hvorostovsky performed accompanied by a symphony orchestra on the main square of Russia, his concert was shown on national television channels.
A year later, Hvorostovsky gave a concert in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Great Victory at the State Kremlin Palace. The program included military songs “Victory Day”, “At a Nameless Height”, “Cranes” and others.
Songs by Alexandra Pakhmutova, such as “Tenderness” and “How Young We Were,” gained great popularity performed by Hvorostovsky.
Lara Fabian and Dmitry Hvorostovsky According to the calendar on the site, follow the main characteristics: Lara Fabian –...
Published by the Calendar on the site and the city Monday, April 2, 2020
Dmitry Hvorostovsky and Lara Fabian
The music of Georgy Sviridov occupied a special place in the artist’s work. It was the vocal poem of the great composer “Disciplinary Rus'” that Hvorostovsky recorded before his death. With this work, only in the first edition, the collaboration of two geniuses once began. The disc was later posthumously nominated for a Grammy Award in the category “Best Solo Album in Classical Music.”
In 2013, the artist had the opportunity to perform on Red Square. Together with Anna Netrebko in front of the Kremlin, he performed the song “Moscow Nights” and the finale from the opera “Eugene Onegin”. A year later, the artist gave a charity concert “Hvorostovsky and Friends for Children.” The program included such hits of classical vocal music as Prince Igor’s aria and “Adagio” by Tomaso Albinoni.
At the invitation of longtime friend Igor Krutoy, Dmitry Hvorostovsky repeatedly participated in the New Wave competition. In 2011, he became a guest at the closing ceremony of the festival, where he performed together with Lara Fabian.
In 2020, the singer delighted fans with a performance on the New Wave stage in a duet with Aida Garifullina. In collaboration with a producer and composer, Dmitry Alexandrovich recorded an album called “Deja Vu” and also released a video for the song Toi et Moi (“You and Me”).
Disease
On June 25, 2020, it became known from the official website of the opera singer that Hvorostovsky was suspending his concert activities until the end of August due to health reasons - a serious illness.
Doctors gave Hvorostovsky a terrible diagnosis - a brain tumor. It is not known for certain when exactly the artist found out about his illness, but a week before publication he was forced to cancel his performance at the Vienna Theater. The performer's voice was not damaged, but Hvorostovsky had problems with balance.
Despite the existing problems, the singer subsequently found the strength to give several concerts. After the first course of treatment in 2020, he appeared on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Il Trovatore” along with his partner Anna Netrebko. His performance “Hvorostovsky and Friends” took place in Russia in the fall. In 2020, Hvorostovsky performed at the City Day of St. Petersburg, and then gave a concert in his native Krasnoyarsk.
Tragic fate
In 2020, Dmitry was informed about a brain tumor discovered in him. He suddenly began to suffer from headaches and short-term loss of coordination, decreased hearing and vision. He told those around him that the tumor was benign, although he himself initially knew that it was not so. Dmitry bravely fought for life and took any available therapy. During remission, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, without losing his fortitude, gave big concerts, believing that the stage and the love of his listeners would help him cope with his illness. Together with Anna Netrebko and Lara, Fabian took part in the “New Wave”. He conducted a tour of Germany with a repertoire of works by classics of opera music. The last concert in Russia took place on June 2, 2020. In Austria he appeared on stage again on June 22.
Dmitry Hvorostovsky, after 2 years of struggle with a serious illness, died in London on November 22, 2020. The last days of his life were spent with the people closest to him. The parents flew to their son a few days before his death. They were able to communicate with him as much as his condition allowed. Every day while the singer was in the clinic, friends and family visited him. He was not left alone.
Death
On November 22, 2020, Dmitry Hvorostovsky died. After a long battle with the disease, the famous artist died in Switzerland at the age of 56. Poet Liliya Vinogradova reported that Hvorostovsky passed away at 3:36 am London time. The information was confirmed by the artist’s family via Instagram. The celebrity account continues to live today. Posts and photos dedicated to concerts in memory of the performer appear on the page.
It turned out that the singer left a will, where he indicated that he wanted to be cremated. The ashes, according to Hvorostovsky's will, were divided into two parts for the funeral. One is buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow - his parents now live in the capital, and the other is in Krasnoyarsk.
Published by Helikon-Opera/»Helikon-Opera» Monday, November 27, 2020
Funeral of Dmitry Hvorostovsky
Friends and relatives of the artist, prominent representatives of show business and politics, Igor Krutoy, Joseph Kobzon, Dmitry Dibrov, Joseph Prigozhin, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Pavel Astakhov, gathered for the funeral in the capital of Russia. The ceremony took place in complete silence: no one uttered a word. Hvorostovsky's ashes were in a closed coffin.
At the vocalist’s first grave in 2020, on his birthday, a monument was inaugurated, representing a full-length bronze figure of the performer. The monument was created by sculptor Vladimir Usov.
