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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”. The collaboration between these two award-winning soloists has flourished over 15 years, leading to versatile and captivating performances across the globe. Committed to broadening exposure to classical music, Avita Duo aims to impact audiences both internationally 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".

 

Avita Duo: News

Spring and Summer, 2026 has many exciting upcoming events.

June will found them as featured guest artists at the Flatiron Festival Series in New York . The recital will take place on June 12 at 121 West 20th Street, NY and will include rarely heard compositions by Ernő Dohnányi, Adele aus der Ohe, and Lily Boulanger.

The Duo had professional recording sessions at famed Skillman Music in New York City, June 14-16. The recording session is now in the production stage.

Additional New York City events on the horizon include performances at Bargemusic on September 13, 2026, and a return visit to Music on Madison on April 25, 2027.

Other upcoming Duo performances include the American Liszt Society Festival, Shattuck - St. Mary’s School, Drake University, Bemidji State University, and the University of Iowa. Details regarding these events can be found the the PERFORMANCES page.

April 15 - 26 found Katya as Guest Artist in Residence with the Southeast Iowa Symphony. This culminated with 3 performances of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on April 25 and 26th. As a part of the residency, Avita Duo will present several outreach events in Ottumwa, Burlington, and Mt. Pleasant, IA. Katya also made presentations at 22 area schools to students in grades K - 12.

The Duo was also together as a part of Katya’s Graduation Recital at The Juilliard School on April 9th.

Other recent events included:

August, 2025 found a return trip to Brazil! This was highlighted by performances at the Piano Connections Festival in Natal, Brazil.

The Duo performed on the Jackson Concert Series in Muscatine, IA, on October 5th, 2025.

October 22-25 found repeat performances at the annual American Liszt Society Festival which was held at East Tennessee University (Johnson City, TN).

Several other events are in the works - stay tuned!

  • 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 190 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 the spring of 2025, she was also a guest artist teacher for a 7-week-long residency at the Eastman School of Music. 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, Walled City International Piano Academy,  International Junior Piano Institute in Uozu, Japan, 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 and Piano Sundays at Old Capitol Concert Series. She was recognized as a Steinway Artist and inducted into the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame for her multifaceted achievements and contributions to classical music and education.

     

     

  • Violinist Katya Moeller, 22, is an accomplished award-winning performing artist. She was deemed a “phenomenal instrumentalist” and praised for her “dramatic and convincing performances” and “exquisite interpretations” by Fanfare Magazine, and “highly characterized” by SF Classical Voice. She played her first solo recital at the age of six and made her orchestra debut when she was twelve, performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto with the Southeast Iowa Symphony. Since then, she has taken the stage internationally, performing in Italy, Hungary, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, Southeast Asia, as well as across the United States, most notably, Carnegie’s Isaac Stern and Zankel Halls, David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series, Music on Madison, BargeMusic, and the Joyce Theater, alongside artists of the NYPhil, NYCB and ABT. Katya has soloed with numerous orchestras internationally, concerti of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Barber, and Coleridge-Taylor. Katya was SEISO’s 2026 Artist-in-Residence, where she presented interactive programs for over 2,000 children in local public schools, presented three recitals with the Avita Duo, and concluded the residency with three performances of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto- in just under two weeks.

    Katya is deeply driven by her love for chamber music. In their first two years together, her string quartet, DragonBoot, won Grand Prize at the Coltman Chamber Music Competition and Second Prize at the St. Paul String Quartet Competition, collaborated with living composers on three world premieres, and performed at a staggering range of venues, from Alice Tully Hall, Sarasota Concert Artist Series, the MATA Festival, Eleva Chamber Players, to the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton and Riker’s Island Prison. Greatly supported by the Juilliard Honors Chamber Program, DragonBoot has been fortunate enough to study with members of the Juilliard String Quartet, the Brentano Quartet, the Cavani Quartet, as well as Itzhak Perlman, Natasha Brofsky, Donald Weilerstein, and Laurie Smuckler.

    Her lifelong, mother-daughter ensemble, Avita Duo, has been 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. The duo will be releasing their second album on Hänssler Classic later this year, featuring sonatas by Adele aus Der Ohe and Ernst Dohnanyi and Lili Boulanger’s Pieces for Violin and Piano. More information is available on avitaduo.com.

    A successful competitor, Katya was awarded the Grand Prize Winner at the Walgreens National Concerto Competition and ENKOR International Violin Competition, and First Prize of the World Bach Competition, ODIN International Music Competition, and the 1st World Violin E-Competition Napolinova,  among others. Previously, 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. Summer engagements include the Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop, Aspen Music Festival, Yellowbarn Young Artists Program, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, and Verbier Festival Solo Academy, where she was awarded the Prix Rodolphe et Helen Tissières. She has participated in masterclasses with renowned pedagogues, Midori Goto, Itzhak Perlman, Mihaela Martin, Rachel Podger, Rachel Barton Pine, Augustin Dumay, Gyorgy Pauk, and Sergey Kravchenko.

    Katya is currently based in New York City, pursuing a Master’s Degree at the Juilliard School, studying with Catherine Cho, after completing her Bachelor’s Degree at Juilliard with Masao Kawasaki. She serves as Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra and the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra, with upcoming performances at BBC Proms in Royal Albert Hall under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salomen. Katya is a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School. Previously, she studied at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, under the tutelage of Almita Vamos.

    Katya plays on a 1978 Sergio Peresson violin.

    Katya is a native of Iowa City, IA and proudly holds a blue ribbon from the Iowa State Fair Grape Stomping Competition.