Ksenija Sidorova

Praised as ​“revelatory” (The Telegraph) and playing with ​“verve, style, attitude and impeccable virtuosity” (ZealNYC), KSENIJA SIDOROVA is the world’s undisputed leading ambassador for the classical accordion. Ksenija’s charismatic performances showcase not only her instrument’s unique capabilities but also her own intense passion and breathtaking skill. Sidorova’s repertoire spans over three centuries from J.S. Bach, Astor Piazzolla, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Václav Trojan. A passionate advocate of new music, several accordion works have been composed especially for her, including Tõnu Kõrvits’s Dances with Paavo Järvi and his Estonian Festival Orchestra at the Pärnu Festival, Sergey Akhunov’s Chaconne for accordion, strings and drums with the Riga Sinfonietta and London Chamber Orchestra, and Arturs Maskats’s Accordion Concerto with Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the new concerto for accordion and orchestra by Dobrinka Tabakova. Orchestral highlights from previous seasons include Münchner Philharmoniker, BBC Symphony, Orchestre National de France, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg. In the 2024/25 season, Sidorova performs with Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, Turku Philharmonic, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, Gavle Symphony Orchestra and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Sofia Philharmonic. She maintains long-standing working relationships with eminent conductors such as Paavo Järvi, Thomas Hengelbrock and Vasily Petrenko, and also with Krzysztof Urbański, Andris Poga, Kirill Karabits, Christian Reif and Nil Venditti, with Michał Nesterowicz. An active chamber musician, this season, Sidorova performs recitals with baritone Thomas Hampson in Tonhalle Zurich, Beethovenhaus Bonn and Amsterdam Concertgebouw, as well as recitals with Avi Avital, and the Signum Saxophone Quartet. Her latest release Crossroads (Alpha, 2024) features Chaconne by Sergey Akhunov, alongside J.S. Bach D minor concerto, Dobrinka Tabakova’s Horizons and Gabriela Montero’s Beyond Bach. Her album Piazzolla Reflections (Alpha, 2021), was acclaimed as ​“brilliantly played [and] beautifully recorded” (Gramophone), numbered among the best new classical albums of the year (Classic Review), and was named BR Klassik’s album of the month. This follows previous successful releases: Arturs Maskats’ accordion concerto (Ondine, 2023) with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra and Andris Poga; Classical Accordion (Champs Hill Records, 2011); Fairy Tales (Champs Hill Records, 2013) recorded with BBC National Orchestra of Wales/​Rundell; and Carmen (Deutsche Grammophon, 2016) for which she won the ECHO prize for Instrumentalist of the Year in 2017. Ksenija started to play the instrument at the age of six under the guidance of Marija Gasele in her hometown of Riga. Her interest in classical and contemporary repertoire took her to the Royal Academy of Music, London, where she became a prize-winning undergraduate and postgraduate studying under Owen Murray. In May 2012, she became the first International Award winner of the Bryn Terfel Foundation and appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2015 as part of his 50^th birthday celebrations, alongside Sting. She is a recipient of Philharmonia Orchestra’s Martin Musical Scholarship and Friends of the Philharmonia Award, as well as the Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal. Ksenija has been an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music since 2016 and was made a Fellow (FRAM) in 2021.