© Karlina Vitolina

Encouraged to take up the instrument by her grandmother steeped in the folk tradition of accordion playing, Ksenija Sidorova 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.

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. 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.

Ksenija has worked with many leading orchestras including Munich Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchester-Zurich (residency in 2020/21), Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (Paavo Järvi), National Orchestra of Belgium (Aziz Shokhakimov), NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, MDR-Sinfonieorchester, Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Kammerorchester des Bayerischen Rudfunks, NHK Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Camerata RCO and Tiroler Symphonieorchester Innsbruck.

She continues her artistic collaborations with Avi Avital, Pietro Roffiand her chamber music partners include Nemanja Radulovic, Andreas Ottensamer, Miloš Karadaglić, Camille Thomas, Goldmund Quartet, Juan Diego Flórez, Nicola Benedetti. Ksenija often appears at Ravinia, Cheltenham, Mostly Mozart, Schleswig-Holstein, Gstaad Menuhin, Verbier and Rheingaumusic festivals.

She has released a new album called Piazzolla Reflections on alpha recordings in 2021.

www.ksenijasidorova.com