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Avita Duo: A Dynamic Force in Classical Music
Avita Duo, featuring Katya Moeller on Violin and Ksenia Nosikova on piano, has been praised for “technical excellence, emotional intensity, and unity of purpose” and “fresh, committed playing, always powerful and concentrated” by Fanfare magazine. The collaboration between these two award-winning soloists has flourished over 15 years, leading to versatile and captivating performances in Italy, Hungary, Romania, Austria, Russia, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the United States, encompassing cities such as Vienna, Budapest, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Natal, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangkok. Committed to broadening exposure to classical music, Avita Duo aims to impact audiences both globally and locally.
The Duo prioritizes community engagement and outreach, frequently performing at public schools, community centers, and retirement homes, presenting educational workshops and teaching masterclasses. Their programming strives to highlight both standard repertoire and the works of lesser-known composers.
This mother-daughter partnership culminated in their first CD recording of Lera Auerbach’s Twenty-Four Preludes for Violin and Piano, alongside the world premiere of Oskolki in 2022. This groundbreaking CD, released on the Hänssler Classic label, has garnered enthusiastic reviews from prominent critics, who lauded it as "absorbing, dramatic, compelling, audacious, and riveting". Their 2024-25 season will feature performances at Music on Madison Avenue in New York City and at the American Liszt Society Festival in Athens, GA, as well as other venues.
Avita Duo: News
The 2024-25 season is shaping up to have numerous exciting and prestigious performances both in the US and abroad!
The Fall started of with a wonderful House Concert benefiting the Ames (IA) Town and Gown Concert Series.
Two performances at the annual American Liszt Festival held in Atlanta was the highlight of October.
On April 6, 2025 the Duo will make their new York debut performing at Music on Madison Avenue (3:00 pm at Madison Ave and East 72nd St.)
There will be three performances in the Cultural Corridor of Iowa City in March. Tuesday, March 6 at the Opus Concert Café in Cedar Rapids, Thursday, the 6th at Oaknoll Retirement Residence, and on Tuesday, the 11th in the Voxman Music Building at the University of Iowa.
August will welcome a return trip to Brazil! This will be highlighted by performances at the Piano Connections Festival in Natal, Brazil. This trip will also feature the duo’s third performance at Casa Thomas Jefferson in Brasilia on August 15.
Several other events are in the works - stay tuned!
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Renowned pianist Ksenia Nosikova has earned widespread acclaim in the world of classical music for her exceptional artistry and profound interpretations. Praised by critics and audiences alike, she has been described as "first-rate" by Fono Forum, "full of dramatic intensity" by International Piano, and a "phenomenal instrumentalist; absorbing, dramatic, compelling, and riveting" by Fanfare Magazine. Nosikova's concert engagements span prestigious venues across the globe, from Shanghai City Hall in China to City Hall Theatre in Hong Kong, Chetham’s International Piano Series in England, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and Sala Cecilia Meireles in Rio de Janeiro, to name a few. Her commitment to musical excellence and education extends to major academic institutions, where she has presented over 170 performances as part of their guest artist series.
Nosikova's extensive and versatile repertoire features both well-known masterworks and lesser-known compositions. With over 30 piano concertos in her repertoire, she consistently delivers programs that present a broad range of musical works. Her creative interests extend beyond live performances to various recording projects, with her works featured on respected labels such as Profil Medien, Hänssler Classic, Albany Records, Centaur Records, and Capstone Records. Her twelve critically acclaimed CD recordings, including the complete three volumes of Années de Pèlerinage by Franz Liszt, have been praised for their outstanding achievements. The 2021 release of her double CD recording, featuring Max Reger's complete four books of Aus Meinem Tagebuch (From my Diary), further adds to her impressive discography. As a member of the Avita Duo, Nosikova's recent collaboration with violinist Katya Moeller on recordings of Twenty-Four Preludes for Violin and Piano, alongside the world premiere of Oskolki by Lera Auerbach on Hänssler Classic (2022), has garnered enthusiastic reviews from prominent critics and reflects Nosikova’s commitment to exploring and promoting new music.
Dr. Nosikova graduated from Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Summa cum Laude) and the University of Colorado. Influenced by renowned teachers such as Mikhail Voskresensky, Norma Fisher, and Robert Spillman, she currently serves as a Professor and Chair of the Piano Department at the University of Iowa. In addition, she has been a guest artist faculty member at several prominent summer programs, including Wiener MusikSeminar International Master Classes, Amalfi Coast International Music Festival, Schlern/ Semper International Music Festival, and PianoTexas International Music Festival and Academy. A passionate music educator, Dr. Nosikova has appeared in over 200 guest artist master classes and has served on numerous international and national judging panels. Nosikova's lasting impact on the next generation of musicians is evident with her students excelling in national and international competitions, earning placements in prestigious music programs, such as Curtis, Juilliard, Colburn, Eastman, NEC, and Peabody, and gaining employment at institutions of higher education worldwide.
Actively engaged in various musical organizations, Nosikova is on the American Liszt Society’s National Board of Directors and is the Artistic Director of the Key Change: Piano Revolutionaries and Piano Sundays at Old Capitol Concert Series. She was recognized as a Steinway Artist and inducted twice into the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame for her multifaceted achievements and contributions to classical music and education.
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Violinist Katya Moeller, 20, was called a “phenomenal instrumentalist” and praised for her “fresh, committed playing, always powerful and concentrated”, “dramatic and convincing performances”, and “exquisite interpretations” by Fanfare Magazine. Katya played her first solo recital at the age of six and made her orchestra debut when she was twelve. Since then, she has been a featured soloist with several symphony orchestras in the Midwest. As a member of the vibrant Avita Duo, she performed multiple concerts in Brazil, Thailand, and Singapore in the fall of 2019 and early 2020. Praised for their “technical excellence, emotional intensity, and unity of purpose”, the Duo produced their first recording of Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Violin and Piano and world-premiere of Oskolki in 2021. Called an “absorbing, dramatic, compelling, audacious, and riveting’”, this CD has been released on the Hänssler Classic label and has received “five-stars” reviews from several prominent critics.
A successful competitor, most recently, Katya was named Prix Rodolphe et Helen Tissières at the 2024 Verbier Music Festival Academy, the First Prize Winner of the World Bach Competition, ODIN International Music Competition, the 1st World Violin E-Competition Napolinova, Grand Prize Winner of the ENKOR International Violin Competition, and Second Prize Winner of the Togliatti International Violin Competition (Russia) and 1st Harmonium OnlinePlus International Music Competition (Armenia). Nationally, she earned the American Opera Society of Chicago Scholarship Award in honor of Katherine Buell, Grand Prize at the Walgreens National Concerto Competition), First Prize in the Musicians Club of Women-Chicago, the Charleston Baroque Music Competition, and Honorable Mention in the National YoungArts Foundation Competition. She also was a prize-winner at Schubert Club Student Scholarship Competition, MTNA West Central Division Auditions, American Music Institute Violin Competition (Chicago), and Sejong Music Competition (Chicago). She was the Gold Medal Winner at the St. Paul String Quartet Competition (Peresson String Quartet), Grand Prize Winner at the Chicago International Music Competition and received a Silver Medal Award at the Fischoff Chamber Music National Competition (Dasani String Quartet). Katya has performed several times on Chicago’s WFMT and Iowa Public Radio’s classical music stations.
Katya lives in New York City pursuing her Bachelor of Music Degree in violin performance at the Juilliard School of Music under the tutelage of Professor Masao Kawasaki. She started violin lessons at the age of four at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City with Christie Felsing and studied with the legendary Professor Almita Vamos in Chicago from the age of eight. She was a fellowship member of the prestigious Music Institute of Chicago Academy for four years. Furthering her studies, she attended on scholarship the Aspen Music Festival, Yellow Barn Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Semper International Music Festival in Italy, and was one of nine violinists invited to the 2024 Verbier Music Festival Academy in Switzerland. She has participated in master classes and lessons with renown musicians and pedagogues, such as Midori Goto, Rachel Barton Pine, Georgy Pauk, Paul Huang, Sergey Kravchenko, Mihaela Martin, and the Cavani and Ying Quartets.
As a soloist, most recently Katya performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Orchestra Iowa, Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic and the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 with Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra, and Barber’s Violin Concerto with the Claudio Santoro National Theater Symphony Orchestra in Brazil. Katya’s recent collaborative engagements featured touring with her Avita Duo, and multiple appearances at BargeMusic (New York), Westside Players (New York) , and Red Cedar Chamber Music (Iowa). Katya plays a 1978 Sergio Peresson violin.