HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY to Über-Barihunk Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Dmitri Hvorostovsky

There have been few baritones as compelling on stage as Dmitri Hvorostovsky and only a few in history who have matched the sexy Siberian's box office draw. His name is synonymous with "legato" and perhaps only Montserrat Caballe or Zinka Milanov could sing with such glorious breath control and float silken sounds into the theater.

We celebrate baritone birthdays daily in our sidebar, but reserve the main posting area for only the most special singers.

We still remember when Hvorostovsky won the Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1989. The music world was instantly abuzz with stories about a baritone who looked as beautiful as he sounded. Perhaps this was the real beginning of the barihunk craze, but we hadn't put a name to it yet. One thing is clear, if you'll pardon the overused cliché, he has certainly aged like a fine wine. 

Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Rodrigo's aria at age 27:

Following his acclaimed performances in La traviata and Ernani last season, Dmitri Hvorostovsky returns to New York's Metropolitan Opera, starring in two Verdi operas at the iconic American house this season. Beginning November 8, Hvorostovsky appears in a new production of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera, portraying Renato, the suspicious husband of Amelia, sung by soprano Sondra Radvanovsky. The new staging, directed by David Alden and conducted by the Met's Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi, features an extraordinary cast that includes tenor Marcelo Álvarez, Kathleen Kim, Dolora Zajick and Stephanie Blythe. Audiences around the world can hear Dmitri sing in this Met production Live in HD on December 8.

 Dmitry Hvorostovsky sings "Urna Fatale" and "Solenne in quest ora" with Jonas Kaufmann:

Also at the Met this season, Dmitri will portray Rodrigo in Verdi's Don Carlo, an epic vision of the Spanish Inquisition. Ramón Vargas and Sondra Radvanovsky will share the stage with Dmitri in this revival of the 2010 Met production, which takes place in February and March 2013.

In between his Met gigs, Hvorostovsky will return to Russia for five recitals and two gala concerts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DMITRI!!! Thanks you for over two decades of glorious singing.