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Ksenija Sidorova

Ksenija Sidorova

Ksenija SidorovaPraised as “revelatory” (New York Times) with “breathtaking virtuosity” (The Observer), Ksenija Sidorova is the leading ambassador for the classical accordion. Both a unique and charismatic performer, Ksenija is passionate about showcasing the vast capabilities of her instrument. Her repertoire spans from Bach to Piazzolla, from Efrem Podgaits and Václav Trojan, to Erkki-Sven Tüür and George Bizet, as well as new accordion concertos composed especially for her, plus a multitude of chamber pr
Accordion

Praised as “revelatory” (New York Times) with “breathtaking virtuosity” (The Observer), Ksenija Sidorova is the leading ambassador for the classical accordion. Both a unique and charismatic performer, Ksenija is passionate about showcasing the vast capabilities of her instrument.

Genre
Classical
    Biography

    Her repertoire spans from Bach to Piazzolla, from Efrem Podgaits and Václav Trojan, to Erkki-Sven Tüür and George Bizet, as well as new accordion concertos composed especially for her, plus a multitude of chamber projects.

    Encouraged to take up the instrument by her grandmother steeped in the folk tradition of accordion playing, Ksenija started to play the instrument aged six under the guidance of Marija Gasele in her hometown of Riga. Her quest for more exposure to both classical and contemporary repertoire took her to London where she became a prize-winning undergraduate and postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music studying under Owen Murray.

    Ksenija now appears on global stages such as Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Lincoln Center, and Berlin Philharmonie. She regularly works with leading orchestras including NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, MDR Sinfonieorchester [Leipzig], Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Kammerorchester des Bayerischen Rudfunks, Atlanta Symphony, Tonhalle Orchester-Zurich, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and prestigious conductors including Paavo Järvi,Vasily Petrenko, Michał Nesterowicz; and long-term chamber partners , for example Avi Avital, Nemanja Radulovic, Andreas Ottensamer, Miloš Karadaglić and Juan Diego Flórez

    Her successful discography comprises Classical Accordion (Champs Hill Records, 2011); Fairy Tales (Champs Hill Records, 2013) recorded with BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Clark Rundel; and Carmen (Deutsche Grammophon, 2016) — a new take on the score — recorded with the Nuevo Mundo band and the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra/Sascha Goetzel. For the latter, Ksenija won the ECHO prize for Instrumentalist of the Year in 2017.

    In May 2012 she became the first International Award winner of the Bryn Terfel Foundation, and in October 2015 she appeared at the Royal Albert Hall as part of his 50th birthday celebrations alongside Sting. She is a recipient of both the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Martin Musical Scholarship and Friends of the Philharmonia Award, as well as the Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal. Since 2016, Ksenija has been an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.