Interview with Xenia Pestova

by Sebastian Berweck

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Pianist and researcher. Interviewed at McGill University, Montréal, 29 January 2010.

Biography

Xenia Pestova (New Zealand/Canada) is a pianist with a special interest in contemporary repertoire. She has performed with Stroma (New Zealand), the United Instruments of Lucilin (Luxembourg), ECM+ (Canada) and as soloist with the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra. Among her awards are a unanimous First Prize at the XII Premio Xavier Montsalvatge International Piano Competition in Girona, Spain, and a Special Mention at the Messiaen International Piano Competition in Paris. She often works with new media, and her recent release of Stockhausen’s Mantra for Naxos with pianist Pascal Meyer was praised by The Guardian (UK) as “a highly accomplished presentation of one of the landmark pieces in the second half of the 20th century.” Xenia is the founding member and artistic director of the Montréal-based new music collective, The Contemporary Keyboard Society.