Sergej Larin

Sergej Larin (Lithuanian: Sergejus Larinas; Russian: Серге́й Ларин; March 9, 1956 – January 13, 2008) was one of a number of operatic tenors from the former Soviet Union to achieve success in the West. His vocal talent was acknowledged by some of the world's leading conductors including Riccardo Muti, Claudio Abbado, James Levine and Zubin Mehta. Larin was also a recitalist, with several programs of songs preserved on disc.

Larin was born in Daugavpils, Latvia. After completing a degree in French philology in Gorky and undergoing voice training in Lithuania under the Lithuanian tenor Virgilijus Noreika, he made his debut at the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1981, singing Alfredo in La Traviata. After nearly a decade of performances at various Soviet venues, Larin made his debut in the West. Larin's international career started after he signed a contract with the Slovak National Theatre and moved to Slovakia, following which he made a debut at the Vienna State Opera. His Covent Garden debut took place in 1991, where he sang Don José in Bizet's Carmen, while Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca served for his debuts at both Paris and the Metropolitan Opera. His later roles at the Met included Don Jose in "Carmen", Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly", Dmitri in "Boris Godunov" and Don Alvaro in "La forza del destino".

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