A post appearing on Hvorostovsky's Facebook page and on his official website stated that the operatic baritone "has recently been suffering from serious health issues, and a brain tumor has just been diagnosed." The message noted that as a result, "with deep regret, we must inform you that Dmitri was forced to cancel all performances from now until the end of August."
The singer had been scheduled to appear in Vienna, Munich, Monte Carlo and California's Festival del Sole over the summer months.
The post stated that although the illness has not affected Hvorostovsky's voice, "his sense of balance has been severely affected." The message states that the opera singer "will begin treatment this week and remains very optimistic."
The legendary Siberian-born singer, known in Russia and throughout the world for his repertoire, which includes everything from Italian operas to Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, is particularly beloved in Russia for his moving renditions of Soviet-era songs about the Second World War. His programme of songs from the war era, broadcast on Russian television in the spring of 2003, was seen by over 90 million viewers.
