The Wigmore Award
Ksenija Sidorova Continues Accordion Successes! - UK

Winners - Left to Right: Robin Davis, Angela Bic, Ksenija Sidorova, Stefan Ciric

Contributed by Romano Viazzani

Ksenija Sidorova, a student of the Royal Academy of Music, London, was one of the winners of the 'Friends of the Royal Academy of Music Wigmore Award' competition on February 5th in the Wigmore Hall. Ksenija Sidorova was also awarded the audience prize.

The beauty of such a competition is that the competitors are playing all kinds of instruments. That the accordion is accepted into such circles is testimony to the huge steps the accordion has made in the world of classical and contemporary serious music in recent years.

This type of competition also exposes the accordion to other musicians and makes eminent adjudicators aware of its capabilities and potential.

Another benefit of this competition is is that the prize is a concert at the Wigmore Hall which after all is what a young artist needs - a platform at a prestigious concert hall to launch one's career.

We have been very lucky in recent years to have had representation at this competition by a number of accordion students from the Royal Academy of Music. Previously Borut Zagoranski was a finalist and then Milos Milivojevic was also a finalist, and this year Ksenija Sidorova attained a joint first placing - a three-way tie with Stefan Ciric (piano) and also with Angela Bic (soprano), with her accompanist Robin Davis.

The adjudicators were for the final were pianist Gordon Back and none other than conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier.
 


Jury and Winners - Left to Right: Yan Pascal Tortelier, Robin Davis, Angela Bic, Ksenija Sidorova, Stefan Ciric, Gordon Back

In the first round of the competition, there were 18 participants invited to compete by the Royal Academy of Music. Of these, 6 qualified for the Final. Amongst them were various combinations: violin and piano, bassoon and piano, oboe and piano, soprano and piano, solo piano and solo accordion.

Ksenija Sidorova also won the audience prize. The concert, which is also the prize, will be held on May 18th (Ksenija's birthday) at the Wigmore Hall at 7.30pm.

In the first round, Ksenija's program was Mozart - Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je. Maman" (a.k.a 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'), and Londonow - 'Scherzo' and 'Toccata'. In the final: A. Nordheim - 'Flashing', Mozart - Variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman", and A. Schnittke Revis - 'Fairy Tale'.

Another accordion student from the RAM, Rafal Luc has qualified for the prestigious Park Lane Group competition, where he will also compete against other instrumentalists. We wish him lots of luck in his progress throughout the competition.