Ondine and Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky Begin Recording Collaboration

FRANKLIN, TN--(Marketwire - Nov 17, 2011) - Ondine (http://www.ondine.net/), a label within the Naxos Label Group (http://www.naxos.com/), is pleased to announce the start of a recording partnership with baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky (http://www.hvorostovsky.com) who is internationally recognized as one of the greatest vocal performers of our time.

In February 2012, Romances, Hvorostovsky's first Ondine recording, will be released internationally. The baritone's long-time piano accompanist, Ivari Ilja, will join him for an album of Rachaninov songs; such as "Spring waters" (Vesennije vody), op. 14 No. 11, and "In the silence of the mysterious night" (V molchan'ji nochi tajnoj), op. 4 No. 3, and twenty-four others. The digital download will include two bonus tracks: "Lilacs" (Siren'), Op. 21/5, and "The raising of Lazarus" (Voskreshenije Lazarja), Op. 34 No. 6.

Future projects will include an album of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and S. Taneyev songs, as well as a recording of Russian opera arias.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky comments on his signing to Ondine: "I look forward to my new long-term recording collaboration with Ondine and the creation of many inspiring pieces for generations to come!"

Reijo Kiilunen, Managing Director of Ondine, states: "It is my great pleasure to welcome Dmitri Hvorostovsky to Ondine, and I look forward to collaborating with one of the most admired baritones of our times. His unique charisma and sovereign authority are wonderfully highlighted in the kind of repertoire which we are about to release in the coming years." Earlier this year, Ondine also announced a recording partnership with Christoph Eschenbach and the National Symphony Orchestra which has already resulted in one album of music by Gershwin, Lieberson, and Bernstein (http://www.ondine.net/?lid=en&cid=1&oid=4566).

One of the world's leading baritones of today, Dmitri Hvorostovsky was born and studied in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. From the start, audiences were bowled over by his cultivated voice, innate sense of musical line, and natural legato. In 1989, he won the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Since his Western operatic debut at the Nice Opera in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame, he has been invited for regular engagements at the major opera houses and festivals internationally. Dmitri has also performed as a celebrated recitalist in every corner of the globe, and appeared in concert with the world's top orchestras and conductors, including James Levine, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Abbado, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Yuri Termikanov, and Valery Gergiev.