The accordion virtuoso, brilliant Ksenija Sidorova, is returning to Belgrade to perform with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra on Friday, October 25, at Kolarac (8 p.m.), just one day after her much anticipated performance at the NOMUS Festival at the Novi Sad Synagogue. Under the baton of chief conductor Gabriel Feltz, the acclaimed soloist will join the orchestra in presenting some of the most captivating contemporary pieces for accordion, several of which were composed or arranged specifically for her.

A unique and charismatic artist, Ksenija Sidorova brings the full expressive potential of her instrument to life in her passionate performances. She regularly collaborates with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Munich Philharmonic, Zurich Tonhalle, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Her repertoire ranges from Bach to contemporary works composed especially for her. In these upcoming concerts, she will present a selection of such pieces to the Belgrade audience, including Horizons by contemporary Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabakova, the poignant Three Ballads by Fazıl Say, and the dynamic Hysteria by Pietro Roffi.

I am fascinated by working with contemporary composers from various stylistic backgrounds. Their deep understanding of the accordion’s musical language greatly contributes to the instrument’s literature. Collaborating with them always teaches me something new, not just about the accordion but about music in general. It’s a deeply enriching and unique experience, Sidorova said about the upcoming concerts in Novi Sad and Belgrade.

Ksenija Sidorova premiered Horizons in 2023, a piece by Dobrinka Tabakova, one of the most prominent composers of her generation. For the first time in Serbia, she will also perform Three Ballads by Fazıl Say, a globally recognized composer who has been a staple in the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s repertoire, both as a composer as well as a performer. Roffi’s Hysteria, which the young composer revised and dedicated to Sidorova, rounds out her program for the concerts on October 24th and 25th with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra.

The rest of the orchestral program is slightly different between the Novi Sad and Belgrade concerts. In Novi Sad, chief conductor Gabriel Feltz will conclude the performance with Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony as part of the NOMUS Festival. The following day, as part of the Philharmonic’s regular season at Kolarac, the concert will take on a dance theme, featuring Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours, Strauss’s Dance of the Seven Veils from Salome, and Ravel’s Bolero as a passionate finale to the sold-out concert.