Shock death of top Russian tenor, 47
mainThe death has been announced of Sergei Balashov, lead tenor of Moscow’s Stanislavsky Opera.
No cause has been given.
Balashov sang dozens of leading roles over the past 20 years, from Donizetti to Prokofiev. He also appeared from time to time as a countertenor in baroque productions.
A memorial service was staged yesterday at the theatre.
The mood here in the theatre is very gloomy indeed – a star has been prematurely extinguished in the firmament. A much-loved and talented man, he will be sadly missed.
Endless memory.
Sad. Gone too soon. So many young artists dying young. I wonder about hectic performance schedules, grueling travel across time zones. Not getting enough rest; unable to sleep, unable to stay awake. Are there any studies about this?
Rest in peace.
I made a similar remark the other day about another premature death announced here on SD. Why are so many dying so young? Has to be the high levels of stress brought forth by capitalism on steroids that most of us must endure to stay afloat financially, ethically, careerwise, healthwise, etc.
Maybe he had an undetected heart condition; this is fairly common when people die suddenly. A champion swimmer died in Australia last week, aged 26, just after competing some warm-ups for upcoming competitions. He felt ‘unwell’ one minute and was dead the next.
Was a Memorial Service actually held or just staged?