Stefan Ćirić and Ksenija Sidorova
Stefan Ćirić – Piano
Stefan Ćirić was born in 1986 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. After commencing his piano studies at the age of 6, remarkable early progress led to success in several national and international competitions (Italy, France). As well as concerts and television appearances in Yugoslavia, he has already toured as soloist outside of his country, notably in Amsterdam, Utrecht and London. His orchestral engagements include concerts with the Stanislav Binički Symphony, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and London Soloists Chamber Orchestra.
Stefan studied at the Mokranjac High School of Music with Bozena Griner, and subsequently with Mirjana Suica-Babic at the Music Faculty of the University of Arts in Belgrade, having held scholarships of the Yugoslav State Foundation. Since 2001, Stefan Ćirić has consulted privately with Sulamita Aronovsky in London, continued at the Purcell School and in 2004 was offered a scholarship to study with her at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
In 2003, Stefan won Top Prize and Audience Prize in the Cantù International Piano & Orchestra Competition, Italy. His performances in Sala Verdi, Milan and the South Bank, London were received to great critical acclaim and he returned to Italy for a recital tour in 2004 which brought further enthusiastic response.
Subsequent performances included Mozart Concerto K.488 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London which prompted glowing reviews, recitals at Hurstwood Music Series, a return to Kolarac Concert Hall in Belgrade and Rachmaninov Concerto No.3 with the YMSO at St. John’s, Smith Square, London, followed by an outstanding performance of Beethoven Concerto No.4.
Highlights in recent seasons were performances of Mozart Concerto K.595 at Cadogan Hall, London with the London Soloists Orchestra and in Austria with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and a concert tour of China.
Among later successes he lists prizes in International Piano Competitions in Gorizia, Italy and Jaén, Spain in 2008 and a most impressive Canadian debut at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto which was received with a standing ovation. In 2009 he was recipient of the Wigmore Hall Award from the Royal Academy of Music and most recently won the Top Prize and Audience Prize at the 60th Viotti International Piano Competition in Vercelli, Italy.
Future engagements include Stefan’s debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2010/2011 season as well as concerts in Italian tours with the Kiev National Symphony Orchestra and St. Petersburg Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Ksenija Sidorova
Classical accordionist Ksenija Sidorova was born in Latvia in 1988; she started playing accordion in her home town of Riga under the guidance of Marija Gasele at Riga 1st music school. Since 2005 she has been studying as an undergraduate at the Royal Academy of Music in London, with Professor Owen Murray. In July 2009 Ksenija has obtained a BMus Diploma receiving Lady Theodore Holland Prize for the 2nd Highest BMus Graduand and Council of Honour Prize for a highly original contribution to the development and evolution of music.
Ksenija is a winner of international competitions in Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Italy.
Ksenija has worked with such composers as Stefano Gervasoni, Nirmali Fenn, Samantha Fernando, Carlos Duque, Elspeth Brooke and Patrick Nunn. In February 2009 Ksenija was a joint winner of “Friends of the Royal Academy of Music Wigmore Award”, which led to Wigmore Hall debut on May 18, 2009.
She has also won Philharmonia Orchestra Martin Musical Scholarship Fund Award and Philharmonia Orchestra Friends Award, has been awarded a Recommended Artist under Making Music’s Philip & Dorothy Green Award scheme for 2009 and has been selected to appear in Park Lane Group Young Artists New Year Series. She is also a recipient of the Worshipful Company of Musicians` Silver Medal, Maisie Lewis Award and was the first accordionist to win the prestigious WCoM Prince`s Prize.
Ksenija has collaborated with the Brooks String quartet, with whom they have been finalists in both the 2008 Royal Academy of Music Club Prize and the Royal Overseas League in March 2009, where they have also received Elias Fawcett Award for an outstanding ensemble.
Engagements in recent seasons include a performance with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, a recital in Colston Hall (Bristol), performance in Spitalfields Festival and DMCE symposium (Dramaturgie Musicale Contemporaine en Europe, Paris, France) performance of Prokofiev`s Cantata for the 20th Anniversay of the October Revolution op74 with Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre and CBSO under Valery Gergiev. In June 2009 Ksenija was invited by Dame Felicity Lott to appear in her Carte Blanche in the programme Un Mardi idéal on Radio France Musique.
Highlights in 2010 include collaboration with the Belcea quartet, a recording with the Sacconi quartet as well as a tour of Switzerland with Milos Karadaglic (classical guitarist).
