Profile of Xenia Pestova

Name:

Xenia Pestova

Position:

Lecturer, Head of Performance

Email:

x.pestova@bangor.ac.uk

Location:

School of Music, College Road

Phone:

+44 (0)1248 382185

Background

Xenia Pestova has performed as soloist and ensemble pianist with the Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal (Canada), Stroma (New Zealand), United Instruments of Lucilin (Luxembourg) and the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra. Her duo with Amsterdam-based pianist Pascal Meyer was praised by The Guardian (UK) for their 2010 release of Stockhausen’s Mantra for Naxos (the first recording to use digital technology for the electronic processing), described as “a highly accomplished presentation of one of the landmark pieces in the second half of the 20th century.” She has commissioned, premiered and broadcast numerous new works and often works with composers and music technologists on interdisciplinary creation. Past engagements include appearances in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland, UK and the US.

Xenia Pestova’s website

Teaching

Performance modules, piano, chamber music, ensemble coaching

Responsibilities

Head of Performance

Research Interests

Interdisciplinary relationships between music, technology and the arts
The music of Olivier Messiaen
Music of the Russian and early Soviet Avant-Garde
Performance with live electronics
Human-computer interaction and digital musical interfaces
Archival and sustainability issues in live electronic repertoire
Music for two pianos
Music for toy piano

Major Festival Performances

Festival Musica (France)
Voix Nouvelles Royaumont (France)
Festival Archipel (Switzerland)
Musikhost (Denmark)
Rainy Days (Luxembourg)
Christchurch Arts Festival (New Zealand)
Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music (UK)
Bangor New Music Festival (UK)

Selected Recordings, Publications and Conference Papers

John Cage: works for two keyboards, forthcoming

Stockhausen: MANTRA for two pianists and live electronics, Naxos 8.572398

Pestova, X. (2009) Models of interaction: performance strategies in works for piano and live electronics, Journal of Music, Technology and Education 2: 2+3, pp. 113-126

Pestova, X. et al. (2009) "The CIRMMT McGill Digital Orchestra Project"
International Computer Music Conference, Montreal, August 2009

Pestova, X., M. T. Marshall and J. Sudol. (2008) "Analogue to Digital: Authenticity Vs. Sustainability in Stockhausen's MANTRA (1970)"
International Computer Music Conference, Belfast, August 2008

Pestova, X. Messiaen as Painter: Nature Depictions in the "Catalogue d'oiseaux" 
Echo Conference: Space, Time, and Music, UCLA, May 2008

Iain Matheson: Equal Parts piano concerto, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, LSCM

James Gardner: Fetish Effigies for piano and ensemble, The Waiteata Collection of New Zealand Music Volume VIII: Chamber Music II, Waiteata Music Press

International Prizes and Awards

Diapason d'Or, Diapason magazine, France (Stockhausen: MANTRA)

Supersonic Award, Pizzicato magazine, Luxembourg (Stockhausen: MANTRA)

Canada Council for the Arts New Music Project Grant

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Fellowship

Career Development Grant, Creative New Zealand Arts Council

First Prize, Xavier Montsalvatge International Piano Competition, Girona, Spain

Special Mention, Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition, Paris, France

Second Prize, KeriKeri National Competition for Pianists, New Zealand