Well before he received his masters in Music at the Astrakhan State Conservatory (Russia) in 1994, Vladimir Sidorov had charmed audiences with his virtuosity and the finesse of his interpretations. Upon completion of his studies, he was awarded the highly coveted title of “Concert Musician”. Sidorov began his international solo career in 1997 with a tour of Hungary, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, moving to Montréal later the same year. In 2001, he recorded his first solo album, and later took part in a Hindemith concert with the musicians of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under the direction of Charles Dutoit. Among other activities that year, he was also invited to join the Orchestre symphonique de Québec for a work by conductor Yoav Talmi. In 2002, he composed the music for a work by choreographer Laurence Lemieux inspired by Dostoyevsky’s novel Poor Folk that toured to Montréal, Québec City and Saint Petersburg. In 2003, Sidorov encountered percussionist Marie-Josée Simard with whom he developed an original program for a previously non-existent type of ensemble (Bayan, vibraphone and percussion). Together, the duo performed a 12-concert tour of the province of Quebec, and recorded a CD entitled Rencontre on the Tout Crin label. Vladimir Sidorov’s broad repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary, and includes his own compositions and transcriptions for the bayan. He is a frequently invited soloist with numerous musical ensembles, both in Canada and Russia.