



Ksenija Sidorova
“Accordion virtuoso Sidorova was the indisputable highlight of the night”
BBC News, 2021
Described as “revelatory” (The Telegraph) and “one of the most magnetic soloists you will ever see” (Seen and Heard International), Ksenija Sidorova is widely recognised as the leading ambassador of the classical accordion. Celebrated for her “verve, style, attitude and impeccable virtuosity” (ZealNYC), she brings a compelling blend of technical brilliance and expressive musicality to every performance.
Her repertoire spans over three centuries encompassing works by J.S. Bach, Astor Piazzolla, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Václav Trojan, alongside a growing body of contemporary works written specifically for her. A passionate advocate for new music, Sidorova continues to expand the accordion repertoire through new commissions and collaborations.
Recent highlights include the world premiere of Dobrinka Tabakova’s Sublime Dreams of Living Machines with Stuttgart Philharmoniker at the Bodensee Festival, where she was Artist in Residence. The work received further performances with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra and Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, with its UK premiere scheduled with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2026.
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2025/26 season highlights include the Canadian premiere of Tõnu Kõrvits’ Dances with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Tüür’s Prophecy with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a return to Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, all three under Paavo Järvi. She also gives solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Club Musical de Québec, and Prager (curated by Gabriela Montero).
Sidorova has previously appeared with Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra including at the Last Night of the Proms, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Cincinnati Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, and many others. She collaborates with conductors such as Paavo Järvi, Marin Alsop, Thomas Hengelbrock, Vasily Petrenko, Andris Poga, Kirill Karabits, Christian Reif, and Nil Venditti.
Following a successful tour with Thomas Hampson in 2025, including performances at Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Beethovenhaus Bonn, she reunites with him in 2026 for performances of Schubert’s Winterreise and Kurt Weill songs at Tonhalle Zürich, Kings Place London, Bergen International Festival, and Kronberg Academy. She also continues touring with SIGNUM Saxophone Quartet and their ANIMA project, with appearances at Munich Prinzregententheater, Harz Classix Festival, Jurmala Festival, and Vienna Konzerthaus.
A dedicated chamber musician, Sidorova also performs regularly with Avi Avital, Benjamin Appl, Goldmund Quartet, Milos, Nemanja Radulović, Andreas Ottensamer, Tine Thing Helseth, Juan Diego Flórez, and Nicola Benedetti. A regular guest at major festivals, she has appeared at Verbier, Rheingau, Ravinia, Cheltenham, (ex) Mostly Mozart, MITO, Gstaad Menuhin and MISA festival in Shanghai.
Her upcoming album on Alpha Classics (Spring 2026) features Kõrvits’ Dances and Tüür’s Prophecy, recorded with the Estonian Festival Orchestra and Paavo Järvi. Her previous release Crossroads (Alpha, 2024) was praised by Gramophone as “another notable demonstration of Sidorova’s artistry” and features works by J.S. Bach, Sergey Akhunov, Dobrinka Tabakova, and Gabriela Montero. It follows Piazzolla Reflections (Alpha, 2021), named Album of the Month by BR Klassik and one of the year’s best classical albums by Classic Review.
Born in Riga, Sidorova began playing the accordion at age six, inspired by her grandmother. She studied with Marija Gasele before continuing at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Owen Murray, where she received numerous accolades including the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Martin Musical Scholarship, the Friends of the Philharmonia Award, and the Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal. She was named an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2016 and a Fellow in 2021.
Contacts
Teodora Masi Associate Director, Artist Management
worldwide general management
Teodora Masi Associate Director, Artist Management
Teodora Masi Associate Director, Artist Management
worldwide general management
Season Highlights
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
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WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Overture from The Magic Flute in E flat major, K620
VACLAV TROJAN: Fairy Tales for accordion and orchestra
FRANCK ANGELIS: Fantasie sur un theme d'Astor Piazzolla (‘Chiquilin de Bachin’)
THOMAS DE HARTMANN: Fairy Tales
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: Francesca da Rimini
Den Norske Opera og Ballett
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PHILIP GLASS: Glassworks
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Adagio in D minor BWV974
SERGEY AKHUNOV: Sketches
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: Ich ruf zu dir, herr Jesu Christ (BWV 639)
GABRIELA MONTERO: Beyond Bach
FAZIL SAY: 3 Ballads
ISAAC ALBÉNIZ: Asturias (Leyenda)
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA: Chau Paris
FRANCK ANGELIS: Fantasie sur un theme d'Astor Piazzolla (‘Chiquilin de Bachin’)
SERGEY VOYTENKO: Revelation
ARKHIPOVSKY arr. POELUEV: Cinderella
ALFRED SCHNITTKE: Revis Fairytales
Philharmonia Frankfurt
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WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K550
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA: Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
GEORGES BIZET: L’Arlésienne: Suite No. 2
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA: Oblivion
FRANCK ANGELIS: Fantasie sur un theme d'Astor Piazzolla (‘Chiquilin de Bachin’)
Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa
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OTTORINO RESPIGHI: Trittico Botticelliano
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA: Bandoneon Concerto "Aconcagua"
FAZIL SAY: Three Ballads
JACQUES IBERT: Divertissement for Chamber Orchestra
OTTORINO RESPIGHI: Trittico Botticelliano
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA: Aconcagua
FAZIL SAY: 3 Ballads
JACQUES IBERT: Divertissement
“The accordion is shown here to be a fantastic substitution: it has such depth of colour and character and is much less brash than one might expect. The nuance and delicacy in its tonal palette make for a refined, elegant performance.”
“Vividly recorded and thoughtfully annotated, this is another notable demonstration of Sidorova’s artistry and an ideal means of highlighting it from a contemporary perspective.”
“Sidorova’s accordion breathed heartfelt emotion into each note, and her phrasing made the room tremble with emotion.”
“Latvian accordion virtuoso Ksenija Sidorova, one of the most magnetic soloists you will ever see. […] From the bright, Petrushka-like opening to the final gallop it was impossible to detach our eyes and ears from the soloist and the sounds she was conjuring from her impressive squeezebox: and the orchestra was with her all the way. […] She is a natural communicator; she would go down a storm at the BBC Proms.”
“Ksenija Sidorova’s accordion both displayed its full-spectrum range of tone and colour but also summoned intriguing sororities that took us far from the realm of the humble squeezebox: think Baroque organ in Buenos Aires.”
“The result is an album that doesn’t only go beyond Bach, but also beyond the accordion. It’s the music and the interpretation that impress, and ultimately the instrument is an accessory.”
“Bach on accordion, it may appear impossible, but it does result in a sparkling performance.”
“Sidorova felt like the hero of the hour with her keening and dazzling solos.”
“Accordion virtuoso Sidorova was the indisputable highlight of the night”
“Sidorova has the sort of virtuosity that is revelatory, in the proper sense of the word. She makes you aware that the accordion can be as lyrically graceful as a violin, and is also capable of producing bewitchingly strange, modern-music sounds.”
“At the programme’s heart is a riveting interpretation of Piazzolla’s Bandoneón Concerto. Sidorova gives real urgency to the motoric rhythms in the outer movements, while her rubato in lyrical passages can be daringly free yet feels utterly natural […] Brilliantly played and intelligently programmed, this beautifully recorded album is Sidorova’s best yet, and the most satisfying Piazzolla disc to come my way in quite some time.”
“Clearly a master of the instrument, Sidorova draws out an amazing variety of colors and textures from these pieces. She captures every subtle change in inflection, articulation, and mood: wistful and fragile one moment, sultry and lavish the next.”
“The Latvian-born musician […] with a virtuosity that enables her to turn her weighty instrument into something of a full orchestra. Her repertoire is bold and out of the ordinary.”
“Ksenija Sidorova conjured up dreamlike to passionate music on her accordion. […] It was a musical moment of glory, which made the audience smile and wonder of such mastery.”
“Sidorova is eager to blow your mind with the vast and dazzling possibilities of her instrument that go leagues beyond the stereotypes. Sidorova played with verve, style, and attitude, as well as impeccable virtuosity and an amazing dynamic range. Her music-making included a considerable amount of showmanship, as if she were creating performance art, not just playing an instrument.”
“Latvian virtuoso Ksenija Sidorova appeared in “A Little Night Music,” the Mostly Mozart Festival’s late-night concert series, and her performances were revelatory.”
“Virtuoso Latvian accordion player Ksenija Sidorova, whose wonderful dexterity, tone and sheer sense of fun, makes the instrument something of a revelation”