I am deeply saddened to learn today that Dimitri Hvorostovsky, a phenomenal Russian baritone from Siberia, died at 55, on November 22 from a cancerous brain tumor.

Now I know that the world of grand opera may not be on your radar, but this man was a gift from another world. I heard him for the first time on TV in a small clip and was instantly mesmerized, not only by his voice, but by the way he used his face to express the music. Later, I was planning a trip to New York to see Sophie, my piano mentor. I arranged to go at the same time he would be appearing at the Met and I got a ticket. So that one time I saw him on stage.

If you have an interest in hearing this remarkable voice Google Cardiff Competition 1989 on YouTube. Hvorostovsky ran away with that competition. He was only 26.

xx, Teal :(