Dmitri Hvorostovsky (1962-2017) performing Yeletsky's aria from Tchaikovsky's opera The Queen of Spades (Op. 68) during the final of the 1989 BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World competition.
The phenomenal showdown with contemporary Bryn Terfel during the Main Prize final soon became known as the 'Battle of the Baritones' and, until this day, marks one of the highlights of the competition's history.
The Russian baritone took the Main Prize that year. He was one of the world’s most extraordinary operatic singers, with a great appreciation for the works of Verdi and Tchaikovsky in particular. He embodied a great variety of characters, including Onegin, Yeletsky, Germont, Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, Count di Luna and many more, at the most renowned opera houses worldwide. He was equally a sought after recitalist, with his repertoire covering a great variety of composers, from Russia and beyond.
In 2019, the Cardiff Singer Audience Prize was dedicated to his memory.
BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Richard Armstrong
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