With a cast of young Chinese and Russian vocal artists, classical Russian Opera "Yevgeny Onegin" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was staged in Moscow January 25th opening the "Chinese Language Year in Russia".

To mark the "Chinese Language Year in Russia", directors, conductors, scenarios and vocal performers from leading music institutes of China Central Conservatory of Music and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Music Institute jointly produced the classical Russian opera.

In the new version of "Yevgeny Onegin", the main characters Onegin and Liansky were played by young Chinese singers Feng Guodong and Xie Tian while the heroines Dagiana and Olga were portrayed by Russian actresses Dushenna and Meilyxiena. The cast's new interpretation of the old opera won applause from Moscow audience.

"This is the first time for top Chinese and Russian music institutes work together. It not only promotes cultural exchanges between the two neighboring countries but is also important to the cultivating of young talents in China and Russia", said Guo Shuzhen, artistic supervision of the production, adding that she hopes such kind of cultural exchanges could be continued.

Based on the novel by Alexander Pushkin, classical music giant Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky created the opera "Yevgene Onegin". It is an example of lyric opera where the libretto closely follows Pushkin's original texts to which Tchaikovsky added dramatic music. The story tells of a selfish person who lives to regret his rejection of a young woman's love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend. The opera was first performed in Moscow in 1879.