Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
SHENYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) — In a rehearsal hall in Shenyang, China’s Liaoning Province, a 71-member symphony orchestra is deep in its work. In the center of the hall stands Russian conductor Anton Torbeev from Moscow, dressed in a black shirt and waving his arms. Under his direction, all the orchestra members are immersed in the music of a ballet based on the ancient Chinese love legend “Qixi.”
40-year-old A. Torbeev graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov and an assistant-internship at the Moscow State Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky. In 2018-2022, he was a member of the conductor-intern group of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia.
At the invitation of the Liaoning Symphony Orchestra, A. Torbeev began conducting the symphony concert “Eternal Classics” in 2024, which is the flagship cultural brand of this orchestra and has been held for 9 years in a row.
In 2025, A. Torbeev came to China again. In addition to continuing to conduct the symphony concert “Eternal Classics”, he also joined the conducting and arrangement of the ballet “Qixi”.
Qixi /7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar/ has been called Chinese Valentine’s Day in recent years. According to Chinese folk tales, the lovers Niulang and Zhinyu /translated as Cowherd and Weaver/ were separated by the Tianhe /Heavenly River or Milky Way/ because their love was not approved by the gods. They could only be reunited once a year, when a flock of magpies formed a bridge across the Tianhe.
“Chinese audiences have a great interest in symphonic music and deep musical literacy,” said A. Torbeev. “During the performance, they also interacted with the orchestra – such an atmosphere gives me, as a conductor, great pleasure.”
The ballet “Qixi” is an original work co-created by the Liaoning Ballet Company and French dancers based on the classical Chinese myth “Niulang and Zhinyu”. This ballet premiered in Shenyang, Northeast China, in August 2024. The production is performed in the form of neoclassical ballet, combining elements of Eastern and Western art.
“In order to better perform the music created by the artists for ‘Qixi’, we specially invited Anton as the conductor to better present this work with the combination of Eastern and Western arts,” said Yu Aoyou, deputy director of the Liaoning Symphony Orchestra.
In April 2025, A. Torbeev, together with the Liaoning Ballet Troupe and the Liaoning Symphony Orchestra, was invited to the city of Xiamen /Fujian Province, East China/ to perform the ballet “Qixi”. The audience applauded the performance, which made A. Torbeev very happy.
“The audience was very enthusiastic and it left a deep impression on me. These trips to China allowed me to feel the enthusiasm of the Chinese public and the fact that China is becoming more and more open and international,” said A. Torbeev.
This time he came to China with his wife. In addition to performing and rehearsing, he and his wife strolled through the picturesque places and gastronomic streets of Shenyang and Xiamen.
“My wife and I love Chinese dumplings, barbecue, sauerkraut and other delicacies. Our Chinese friends are very hospitable and took us to learn about Chinese customs,” said A. Torbeev, adding that he and his wife enjoyed their trip to China.
Wang Jiyuan, deputy director of the Liaoning Provincial Public Cultural Service Center, said that in the future, Liaoning Province will continue to strengthen international cooperation and invite more outstanding musicians and conductors to Liaoning to help local symphony orchestras improve their professional level and strengthen the formation of talented teams.
In addition, the Qixi Ballet is scheduled to tour internationally in the second half of 2025. The ballet will invite more international artists to perform in order to promote traditional Chinese culture to the world. -0-