Russian opera star Hvorostovsky announces two concerts in Toronto and Dublin

MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. Renowned Russian opera singer Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who is fighting a brain tumor, plans to appear on stage twice in late April. On April 25, he will give a concert in Canada’s city of Toronto while on April 29, a recital will take place in Ireland’s capital of Dublin, Hvorostovsky’s Executive Director Mark Hildrew told TASS.

When asked about the singer’s upcoming performances, Hildrew said that "at this moment Mr. Hvorostovsky hopes to sing in both Toronto and Dublin." "We will look for new dates for the postponed concerts after the two concerts at the end of next month have taken place," he added.

Apart from Hvorostovsky, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and her husband, Azerbaijanji tenor Yusif Eyvazov, will also take part in the concert scheduled at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts while in Dublin’s National Concert Hall Estonian pianist Ivari Ilja will also perform.

In late December 2016, Hvorostovsky indefinitely postponed his recitals in Russia’s western city of Kaliningrad and the Belarusian capital of Minsk and cancelled the March 7 concert in Austria’s capital of Vienna for health reasons. In a message published on his website, the singer expressed his regret over the decision but also said that "right now I must follow doctors’ orders and focus on my recovery."

In the summer of 2015, Hvorostovsky was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Despite getting medical treatment, he continued performing, in particular, he went on a North America tour and performed the Songs of the Wartime program at the Green theatre at the VDNH complex in Moscow. However, in late September 2016, the singer had to withdraw from his engagements in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the Vienna State Opera while in December 2016, he cancelled his planned debut performances of Verdi’s Don Carlos at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater.