The baritone’s wife and Facebook page have contradicted reports emerging from Russia that he lost his battle with cancer.

Reports of the death of Siberian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015, are incorrect.

Twitter erupted this morning with the news that the singer – beloved for his performances of Verdi and Tchaikovsky, particularly the title role in Eugene Onegin – had died less than a week before his 55th birthday. The story was reported on Russian news website kp.ru and was soon picked up by other Russian media outlets, with opera fans around the world posting tributes and expressing their grief on Twitter.

Hvorostovsky’s Facebook page soon contradicted the news, however. “Contrary to several erroneous reports in the Russian media, Dmitri is alive and resting at home,” the post said. “He looks forward to his parents’ visit to London this weekend and celebrating his birthday with them.”

Russian media reports of Hvorostovsky’s death are not true, it’s emerging. Florence Hvorostovsky reports on FB that Dima is fine!

— Mark Pullinger (@larkingrumple) October 10, 2017

While Hvorostovsky has been forced to cancel a number of appearances since his diagnosis in June 2015, he delighted the audience at the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th Anniversary Gala earlier in the year with a surprise appearance and was recently awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the IV Degree by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hvorostovsky’s wife Florence Hvorostovsky has also taken to Facebook to address the reports. “My husband is fine and sleeping happily next to me!!!! Fuck these people to write such things!!!”