Baritone to present program of darkness and light

Dmitri Hvorostovsky says he is now more focused on his voice than his look.

When the baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky arrives at Symphony Hall on Tuesday, he'll bring a program whose two halves represent two sides of his artistic personality and of his Russian roots. First on the bill is a set of Russian opera arias, which have been a calling card for him throughout his career. After intermission comes a selection of what he calls "romances," popular songs that flourished around the turn of the 20th century. Though largely unknown to Western audiences, they are deeply ingrained in the singer's soul.

"I grew up in a family where this kind of song was always being sung," he says by phone from a hotel in Quebec. "So in a way, it's kind of my tribute to my parents, [and especially] to my father."

Boston is the last stop on Hvorostovsky's monthlong North American tour with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and conductor Constantine Orbelian. The folk ensemble Style of Five joins them for the romances, adding some traditional Russian instrumentation. Earlier dates have tended more toward crossover fare, including a selection of Russian pop songs, amplified and sung with a youth chorus. "You're not gonna get [that] in Boston. We decided to be more in our normal shoes," he says with a laugh.

It's a reminder of how multifaceted Hvorostovsky is. There is the acclaimed soloist with a voice of focused, silvery beauty and matchless vocal technique, who can put across with chilling intensity such dark fare as Mussorgsky's "Songs and Dances of Death" and Shostakovich's "Suite on Words of Michelangelo." There is also the extraordinary Verdi baritone who not only sings but acts with boldness and command.

And then there is the swoon-inspiring Hvorostovsky, the "barihunk" with almost impossibly good looks who inspires devotion more than admiration. And the one who enjoys putting Russian pop on the same program as arias from Tchaikovsky's "Queen of Spades" and "Eugene Onegin."

At one time Hvorostovsky would have regarded the inclusion of unabashedly populist fare in his concerts as "almost a betrayal to my operatic ideals. When I saw the Three Tenors, I said 'Oh my God, this is completely ridiculous.' Then I gave it a second thought, and I realized that what [they] were doing was an incredible pop show, but at the same time . . . they were the messengers of operatic music to the entire world."

Hvorostovsky, who has lived in London since 1994, has expanded the outreach effort during several recent tours of Russia, where he often performs in large outdoor stadiums, Three Tenors-style. "I've been performing in front of coal miners in Siberia," he says with enthusiasm. "I'm reaching out to such a level of people who would never even imagine themselves being in opera theaters and listening to operatic music."

How much these efforts really advance the cause of classical music is debatable, but it's undeniable that whatever Hvorostovsky is undertaking now, he's doing it on his own terms and for his own satisfaction. That's a marked change from earlier in his career, in the 1990s, when he was relentlessly over-marketed - as much for his looks as for his voice - as the personality that would draw in a new audience for classical music.

"I'm definitely more in control and much less about the look nowadays than my voice," he says (though he can't resist noting that he "physically look[s] better than I did 10 or even 20 years ago"). One of the people he credits with helping him refocus his career is Amelia Haygood, founder of Delos International, the label for which he has recorded since 2001. She died earlier this year after a long battle with cancer, and Hvorostovsky dedicated his latest CD, "Heroes and Villains," to her memory.

"She was an absolutely extraordinary woman," he says. "She was one of those unique people who have such a big heart - big enough to give her warmth and love and wit to everyone. And I'm one of the ones blessed with it. Every time her name occurs, whether it's in conversation or in my thoughts, I smile."

He is effusive about where he is in his career. "I feel like I've been on top of the world," he says. "No kidding - [I've been] given so many chances and opportunities. . . . Right now I feel more balanced, more confident with myself and what I can do - it's way higher than what I expected."

It's curious, then, that Hvorostovsky admits to having had some trepidation about the tour he's about to conclude. He was unsure whether audiences would really be drawn in by a program of largely unfamiliar Russian fare. "I always doubt - doubt myself and everything else. It's kind of a strange side of my, you know, dark Slavic character," he says, only half-joking.

When it's pointed out that his internal uncertainty is the antithesis of the image he presents on stage, he responds, "Well, that's how I manage to overcome it."

888-266-1200, bostonsympho nyhall.com

AIDS Day concert

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day, and the Longwood Symphony Orchestra observes the occasion with a concert and symposium. The Jordan Hall concert's centerpiece is Janacek's earthy "Glagolitic Mass." The symposium, to be held at Boston University, will highlight current research on and treatments for HIV/AIDS. As with all Longwood concerts, proceeds will benefit charitable medical organizations.

617-667-1527, longwoodsym phony.org