Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky has died at the age of 55.

After being diagnosed with a brain tumor is 2015, Hvorostovsky had retired from the opera stage as he battled the disease. A year ago he announced that he would continue singing in recital and would continue recording.

Born in Siberia, he made his debut at Krasnoyarsk Opera House, in the role of Marullo in “Rigoletto” and would on to win First Prize at both the Russian Glinka Competition in 1987 and the Toulouse Singing Competition in 1988. From there he would go on to compete at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition where won, beating out Bryn Terfel and starting his international career.

Hvorostovsky would go on to sing at the world’s greatest theaters including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera House and many more. Among the roles, he was well-known for included “Eugene Onegin,” The Count in “Il Trovatore,” “Rigoletto,” Giorgio Germont in “La Traviata” and “Simon Boccanegra,” among others.

Renown for his beautiful tone and his incredible technique, Hvorostovsky left numerous recordings, first on Philips, where he had an exclusive contract before moving to Delos where he recorded countless solo CDs and complete operas including “Rigoletto,” which was his last.

Hvorostovsky worked with many of the prominent opera singers and was beloved by his colleagues. He shared extensive partnerships with Valery Gergiev, Constantine Oberlian, Anna Netrebko, Sondra Radvanovsky, Hibla Gerzmava, Igor Krutoy, Aida Garifullina, Sumi Jo, and countless other artists with whom he worked.

Beloved by the audience, Hvorostovsky continued singing throughout his illness and on May 7, 2017, he made a surprise appearance at the Metropolitan Opera where he received a standing ovation and was the emotional core of the performance.

He is survived by his wife Florence, their two children, two children from his first marriage, and his parents.