Vladimir Sidorov was born in Volgograd, Russia. The concert bayanist graduated first in his class with a Master's Degree in Music from the Astrakhan State Conservatory (Russia), in 1994. He was one of only three music students graduating that year, to be granted the designation of "concert performer". As a young student of music, Vladimir competed in and won top prizes at local and regional bayan competitions. He is a 1993 laureate of a Bayan Competition organized by all of the Russian Conservatories and held in Astrakhan. He gained international exposure when he was invited to give recitals in Hungary, Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in 1997. Vladimir Sidorov's repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary and includes his personal interpretations. Many of the works he plays are his own transcriptions written for the bayan. In addition to performing solo, Vladimir has played with various ensembles in Russia and Canada. His goal is to promote the Russian school of bayan in the West and to demonstrate the vast potential of the bayan as a serious concert instrument. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.