Praised as ›superbly subtle and virtuosic‹ (The Arts Desk) and ›an amazingly accomplished artist‹ (Classical Source), 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 and collaborates regularly with leading composers and musicians. Her repertoire spans from Bach to Piazzolla, from Efrem Podgaits and Václav Trojan to Erkki-Sven Tüür and George Bizet, as well as to new accordion concertos composed especially for her and a multitude of chamber projects.

This season, Ksenija will perform with Russian Chamber Philharmonic St. Petersburg, Latvian National Symphony, Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, Macao Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra+, Orchestre National de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orquesta Filharmonica de Gran Canaria, and the Tonhalle Orchestra (Paavo Jarvi), for which she will also be Artist in Residence. Ksenija will continue her collaboration with her artistic colleagues such as Avi Avital and Itamar Doari with a European tour of her ›Between Worlds‹ project, as well as perform chamber music recitals in concert halls across Europe and Asia.

Ksenija works with orchestras worldwide including NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, MDR Sinfonieorchester, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Atlanta Symphony, and NHK Symphony Orchestra. She regularly collaborates with Avi Avital, Nemanja Radulovic, Andreas Ottensamer, Miloš Karadaglić, Camille Thomas, Goldmund Quartet, Juan Diego Flórez, Nicola Benedetti and Joseph Calleja.

Estonian conductor and Grammy Award winner Paavo Järvi has been Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 2004. One of the many highlights of this collaboration was the Beethoven cycle, acclaimed worldwide by audiences and critics alike, for which Järvi received numerous awards including the ›Echo Klassik Conductor of the Year‹ award and the prestigious annual ›German Record Critics‹’ award. Their Beethoven project was followed by an intensive exploration of the symphonic works of Schumann and Brahms; both cycles also received numerous awards. From autumn 2021, the focus was on Joseph Haydn’s twelve London symphonies, and since 2024, an intensive exploration of Franz Schubert’s symphonies.

Järvi has been Music Director of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich since the start of the 2019/20 season. He is also the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra and the Pärnu Music Festival. From the 2028/29 season, Järvi will take up the post of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor to the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He also regularly appears as a guest conductor with leading orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

In 2015, he was named ›Artist of the Year‹ by both the British magazine Gramophone and the French magazine Diapason. This was followed in 2019 by the Opus Klassik award for ›Conductor of the Year‹. Other awards include a Grammy Award for his recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the title ›Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres‹, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2015, Paavo Järvi also received the Sibelius Medal in recognition of his work in bringing this Finnish composer’s music to a wider audience, and in 2012 he received the Hindemith Prize for Art and Humanity. As a committed supporter of Estonian culture, Paavo Järvi was awarded the Order of the White Star by the President of Estonia in 2013.