Cancer Forces Famed Russian Baritone To Cancel Performances

Dmitry Hvorostovsky performs in St. Petersburg, Russia, in May.

Russian opera star Dmitri Hvorostovsky is canceling four February performances of Verdi's Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera in New York because of ongoing treatment for a brain tumor, the Met says.

The 53-year-old Russian baritone disclosed his diagnosis in June and canceled performances through the summer to undergo treatment in London.

He returned in September to sing three performances as the Count di Luna in the Verdi opera at the Met, including one televised worldwide.

Audiences greeted him with "Bravos" and loud ovations, and orchestra members threw white roses at him during the curtain calls.

Hvorostovsky is currently singing in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at London's Royal Opera in a run through January 2.

Hvorostovski was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, in October 1962. He has recorded more than 40 albums.

Based on reporting by AP and TASS