Anton Belyaev is one of Russian music’s most versatile figures — the frontman and creative force behind jazz-pop band Therr Maitz, an award-winning film composer, a television personality, and, by most accounts, one of the most stylish performers in the Russian music scene. His road from Soviet-era Magadan to the Moscow spotlight was anything but straight: he was expelled from multiple schools, relocated twice, and spent years as an anonymous arranger before finding a national audience. The second season of The Voice Russia in 2013 changed all of that.
Early Life: Magadan and the Piano That Changed Everything
Anton Belyaev was born in the autumn of 1979 in Magadan, a remote port city on Russia’s northeastern coast. He was the younger of two children — his sister Lilia was eleven years his senior. His mother, Alla Sergeevna (née Konishcheva), grew up in the Kazakh village of Zharbulak and held two degrees: one from a geological technical school, another from a pedagogical institute in mathematics. His father, Vadim Borisovich, trained as an electronic engineer in Saratov before an assignment took him to the Kazakh SSR — and into Alla’s orbit. The family eventually settled in Magadan, where she worked as a teacher and he worked at a computer center.
Anton was a sickly child, and as the youngest in the family, he got away with quite a lot. At three he hauled pots, ladles, and spoons out of the kitchen and assembled his first drum kit. His parents didn’t scold him — they took it as a sign. Musical toys came first; at five, he was enrolled in music school.
He had his heart set on drums, but the school wouldn’t accept students that young for percussion. His parents steered him toward piano instead. The instrument hooked him completely. Within a few years he was winning local competitions and performing at festivals, and by fourteen he had fallen in with local jazz musician Yevgeny Chernonog, spending more and more time in his studio. A youth jazz orchestra followed soon after.
School, meanwhile, went less smoothly. He was expelled from the English-language gymnasium in the ninth grade for repeated discipline violations, then transferred to a second school, then enrolled at the Magadan School of Music — where he was expelled again, this time for pursuing jazz too aggressively. He finished secondary education at a fourth school, where his musical talent won over both teachers and classmates. After graduating, he moved to Khabarovsk and enrolled at the State Institute of Culture and Arts in the pop-jazz department — a program that finally matched what he actually wanted to do. He studied with enough commitment to earn an enhanced scholarship.
Building Therr Maitz
In the late 1990s, Belyaev was working Khabarovsk’s club scene when he was offered the art director role at the Rus nightclub. The venue came with rehearsal space and recording equipment — enough to start something real. He assembled Therr Maitz with guitarist Dmitry Pavlov, drummer Evgeny Kozhin, trumpeter Konstantin Drobitko, and bassist Maxim Bondarenko, taking on the roles of frontman, composer, and arranger himself.
The band built a following in Khabarovsk. Belyaev had bigger ambitions. He moved to Moscow — and found that ambition alone doesn’t pay rent. For several years he kept going by writing arrangements for established Russian artists including Polina Gagarina, Nikolai Baskov, Tamara Gverdtsiteli, Igor Grigoriev, and Maxim Pokrovsky, while composing music he actually wanted to make on the side. Four years in, he rebuilt Therr Maitz around a new lineup: Boris Ionov on drums, Artem Tildikov and Nikolai Sarabyanov on guitars, and Victoria Zhuk adding female vocals.
With Belyaev as keyboardist-vocalist, the reformed band developed a sound that drew regular comparisons to the best of British soul and jazz-pop — reviewers frequently reached for Elton John and George Michael as reference points. The band sang exclusively in English. Belyaev cultivated a stage persona to match: sharp-dressed, slightly rakish, and fully in command. Over this period, Therr Maitz released four albums: Sweet Oldies, Unicorn, Tocyo Roof (EP), and Capture.
The Voice Russia, Season 2 (2013): A National Breakthrough
In 2013, Belyaev auditioned for the second season of The Voice Russia (Golos) and performed Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” at the blind auditions. All four coaches turned. He chose Leonid Agutin as his mentor.
He didn’t arrive alone. Tucked under his arm was a plush donkey he’d named Plusha B-Junior — a toy he’d originally bought as a gift for his future wife, brought along for luck. The audience loved it. His duet with Alena Toymintseva on “Hit the Road Jack” caught on immediately, and solo performances of “Will You Come Back Someday Again” and “On the Lilac Moon” cemented his reputation as a performer with real range. When Agutin eliminated him at the battles stage, Pelageya moved swiftly to add him to her team. His performance of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry” carried him to the semi-finals.
He didn’t win. But the exposure transformed his profile in a way that winning might not have. Therr Maitz’s songs started appearing on Russian television; he was invited to host Red Star; people across Russia knew his name and face for the first time. After the season wrapped, Plusha B-Junior was donated to a charity auction run by the Good Deeds Day Foundation.
Film Scoring, Awards, and Production Work
The Voice’s visibility opened a string of production opportunities. In 2015, Belyaev served as music producer for Igor Matvienko’s team on the TV talent show Main Stage and recorded “Stop Quiet” as part of a Greenpeace campaign for separate waste collection. He also contributed as composer and performer to Tahir Mammadov’s musical project Voices of a Big Country, which brought together nearly thirty performers including Andrei Grizzly, Yegor Sesarev, and Miriam Merabova, and handled the musical arrangement for Vyacheslav Dusmukhametov’s production The Returned.
The career-defining commission came in 2018: Oleg Trofim’s sports melodrama Ice. Belyaev co-composed the score with Dmitry Selipanov, and the collaboration earned them the Golden Eagle Award for best original score — Russia’s most prestigious film industry prize. The film’s standalone track “Fly,” performed by the Amega group, found an audience well beyond cinema screens. Belyaev also collaborated with singer Dasha Shults on the track “Sea” (released on Shults’s album under the title “Ballerina”).
Outside music, 2018 also brought advertising work. Belyaev appeared in campaigns for the No One boutique alongside travel blogger Natalya Osmanova — not coincidentally, given that LF City and GQ had named him one of Russia’s most stylish musicians three years in a row. That same year he was inducted as a member of the Recording Academy (the US National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Grammy Awards).
His composition “Make It Last” reached a mainstream commercial audience when it was selected as the soundtrack for a Kit Kat television commercial.
Anton Belyaev’s LABoratory
In 2019, Belyaev began teaching at the Moscow Film School and developed Anton Belyaev’s LABoratory — a YouTube music show built around a straightforward but compelling format. Each invited artist performs one original song and one cover, both backed by Therr Maitz live in the studio, with the cover selected during an on-camera conversation with Belyaev. The idea had been in the works for a couple of years before it launched; as Belyaev explained at the time: “I came up with the idea two years ago, but I was told a large-scale show like this wouldn’t work for the online viewer. After a while, the viewer caught up — now we have one of the best productions and a strong team. It’s very energy-intensive, but that’s part of what makes it what it is.”
The first season, released in spring 2020, featured ten performers including Leonid Agutin, Monetochka, Oleg LSP, and Lyubov Uspenskaya. The second season, released in autumn 2020, expanded the format: each guest performed two songs, backed by Therr Maitz alongside a string orchestra and the choir of the Moscow State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) under the direction of Eteri Beriashvili. Rapper Basta opened the season with Murat Nasyrov’s “I Am You” and his own track “War.” Ivan Urgant and Zivert were scheduled among the season’s guests before the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted production; the organizers confirmed the remaining performances would be released online.
During the spring 2020 lockdown, Belyaev and his family found themselves in the Maldives. He kept working regardless — setting up a makeshift recording tent under a blanket to control the room’s echo, using a laptop bought in Malé, and keeping files moving between himself and colleagues back in Moscow. His wife kept the tea coming.
Personal Life
Belyaev’s own account of how he met his wife sounds like a scene from one of his films. He walked into a café for coffee, saw Yulia Markova, and fell for her on the spot. His opening move: singing Mary Magdalene’s aria from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, right there in the café. Their second date was a Therr Maitz concert. Yulia — a journalist at Evening Moscow and a Moscow State University graduate — was already drawn to music, and Belyaev’s talent and manner closed the deal.
They married in 2012. Yulia became the manager of Therr Maitz while also working as an editor at Europa Plus TV. Their son Semyon was born in 2017. To mark the occasion, Belyaev composed a lullaby called “Undercover” — all proceeds from its sale go to orphanages through the Good Deeds Day Foundation, a charitable initiative he quietly launched around the same time.
His view of domestic life has shifted considerably from his solo years: “Until thirty, I thought being alone was cool, free, varied. Now I can’t imagine my life without them — music has moved to the background.”
In autumn 2020, Therr Maitz performed at the Family Week festival in Yekaterinburg and took part in the Russian Woodstock rock festival, organized as a tribute to healthcare workers on the pandemic’s frontlines.
Anton Belyaev’s Net Worth
Anton Belyaev’s net worth has not been officially disclosed. His income draws from several distinct streams that have built up over more than two decades in the industry:
- Touring and recordings — Therr Maitz has maintained an active concert schedule and released four studio albums since the early 2000s.
- Film and TV scoring — The Golden Eagle–winning Ice soundtrack represents the high point of his film work, but his TV production credits (including Main Stage) add to this total.
- Advertising — Brand placements include the Kit Kat “Make It Last” commercial and campaigns for the No One boutique. Three years of recognition as one of Russia’s most stylish musicians by GQ and LF City signals ongoing demand from fashion and lifestyle brands.
- Television presenting — Hosting credits including Red Star add a separate revenue stream distinct from performance.
- Education — Teaching at the Moscow Film School since 2019.
- Digital content — The LABoratory YouTube project, now in its second season with major-name guests, contributes both directly and through raised profile.
- Industry membership — His Recording Academy membership reflects professional standing in the international music industry, supporting further international work.
Taken together, industry observers broadly estimate Anton Belyaev’s net worth at approximately $1–3 million. No verified public figure exists, and for a career built on diversification rather than a single commercial peak, the real number likely depends more on the value of his publishing and scoring royalties than on any single headline moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anton Belyaev?
Anton Belyaev is a Russian singer, composer, and music producer, best known as the frontman of the jazz-pop band Therr Maitz. He reached national prominence after making the semi-finals of The Voice Russia in 2013 and later won a Golden Eagle Award for co-composing the score to the 2018 film Ice.
What band is Anton Belyaev in?
Belyaev is the frontman and creative director of Therr Maitz, which he originally founded in Khabarovsk in the late 1990s. The band performs exclusively in English and has released four albums: Sweet Oldies, Unicorn, Tocyo Roof (EP), and Capture.
What award did Anton Belyaev win?
Together with co-composer Dmitry Selipanov, Belyaev won the Golden Eagle Award for best original score for the 2018 Russian sports film Ice, directed by Oleg Trofim.
Is Anton Belyaev married?
Yes. He married journalist Yulia Markova in 2012. The couple has one son, Semyon, born in 2017. Yulia serves as the manager of Therr Maitz.
What is the LABoratory show?
Anton Belyaev’s LABoratory is a YouTube music show launched in 2019. Each episode features an invited performer playing one original song and one cover, backed by Therr Maitz live in the studio, with the cover choice emerging from an on-camera conversation between the guest and Belyaev.
What is Anton Belyaev’s net worth?
No official figure has been disclosed. Based on his combined income from Therr Maitz touring and recordings, film and TV scoring (including the Golden Eagle–winning Ice soundtrack), advertising, television presenting, teaching, and digital content, industry estimates place his net worth at approximately $1–3 million.