Dmitri Hvorostovsky
A Russian baritone with a voice of polished silver and a commanding stage presence that brought tragic operatic heroes to devastating life.
1962–2017 (age 55)·Russian baritone·Birthday: October 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dmitri Hvorostovsky emerged from Siberia with a voice that seemed to carry the cold, clear air of his homeland. His meteoric rise after winning the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1989 introduced the globe to a baritone of extraordinary power and velvety tone. With his shock of prematurely white hair and magnetic charisma, he became the definitive interpreter of tormented Russian heroes like Eugene Onegin and the demonic Count di Luna. Hvorostovsky's artistry was marked by intense psychological insight and a seamless vocal technique that remained formidable even during his very public battle with brain cancer. He performed relentlessly until his final years, his voice gaining a poignant, weathered depth that moved audiences beyond words.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Dmitri was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dmitri Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Dmitri's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2017Died at 55
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Won the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1989, defeating bass Bryn Terfel in the final round.
- Became a leading baritone at the world's major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, and La Scala.
- Championed Russian art song and opera, recording definitive interpretations of works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.
Did You Know?
Before his music career, he studied at the Krasnoyarsk School of Arts and initially trained as a baritone, not as the tenor his early teachers suggested.
He was known for his passionate performances of Russian romances and Neapolitan songs in concert.
He publicly announced his brain cancer diagnosis in 2015 and continued to perform for over two years during treatment.
“I don't consider myself a star. A star is something that is far away. I am just a singer who is close to the people.”
