CHRISTIAN
SVARFVAR
VIOLINIST
Latest Press
ACCLAIM | PORTRAITS
REVIEW | HUFVUDSTADSBLADET
The golden edge of the whole thing is set by Christian Svarfvar's dazzling tonality and multifaceted expressive and emotionally empathetic playing, which leaves nothing to be desired.
Mats Liljeroos, HBL
REVIEW | JORDAN NEWS
Amazing arrangements for violin and orchestra by Anders Berglund.
The whole work is crowned with the second-to-none performance of Christian Svarfvar and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, who have played the entire set of twelve pieces for the new recording.
Jean-Claude Elias, JN
REVIEW | SVENSKA DAGBLADET
His sweat, quite literally, comes in contact with the tears of the audience.
Sofia Nyblom, SvD
REVIEW | GRAMOPHONE
His dreamy approach is mesmeric, in any case. His tone gleams, and the way he tugs yearningly on the leading tones draws one in. Svarfvar’s playing radiates tenderness
Andrew Farach-Colton, Gramophone
REVIEW | NYA WERLANDS-TIDNINGEN
Young Mr. Christian Svarfvar's tone is so lyrical and gentle that one is sometimes completely stunned and just filled by it.
Of top albums across all genres in 2023, the album secured the 5th place.
Lasse Anrell, NWT
REVIEW | THE STRAD
Breathtaking performances of classics from the French repertoire. Christian Svarfvar and Roland Pöntinen. Svarfvar’s violin provides the perfect sound world – warm, intimate, and tonally ravishing. There are times, as in the Ravel Berceuse, when Svarfvar creates the magical impression of activating his instrument by breathing over the strings rather than bowing in the traditional manner
Julian Haylock, The Strad
REVIEW | SVENSKA DAGBLADET
Christian Svarfvar, with his beautiful tone and balanced vibrato, plays with clarity and technical brilliance, never missing a note and illuminating passages where other violinists tend to be careless. Christian Svarfvar allows his sensitively glowing tone to embody the classical ideal
Lars Hedblad, SvD
REVIEW | FINANCIAL TIMES
Grieg’s romantic cantabile rides on such a fluent variety of ideas that listening to all three sonatas in quick succession is pure pleasure, buoyed by Svarfvar’s fearless expression, rock-solid technique and stylistic acumen
Andrew Clarke, FT
REVIEW | DAGENS NYHETER
Christian Svarfvar and Roland Pöntinen create a dreamlike state whose sense of French chamber music is currently unparalleled among Swedish musicians.
(Gothenburg concert hall)
Martin Nyström, DN
REVIEW | BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
Svarfvar and pianist Henrik Måwe deliver a performance that is notable for its impeccable unanimity of ensemble, and the duo project the more overtly emotional Two Sentimental Romances with noble restraint.
Erk Levi, BBC Music Magazine
REVIEW | DAGENS NYHETER
In the hands of Svarfvar and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, what seems to be impossible to combine actually sounds strikingly organic, natural, and flowing.
All driven by exquisite musicianship, with a temperament far from the somewhat conceptual character that imprinted the composer Max Richter's similar recomposition of Vivaldi some years ago.
Martin Nyström, DN
REVIEW | GRAMOPHONE
Svarfvar’s high range is impressively used in several movements – and the album is certainly worth listening to for Svarfvar’s performance alone.
Pwyll ap Siôn, Gramphone
REVIEW | LA SCENA MUSICALE
Tempting the listener to a world right outside her reach.
Kiersten van Vilet, La Scena Musicale
REVIEW | SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
Christian Svarfvar takes on this famous violin concerto (Max Bruch) with his
unpretentiously elegant, yet concentrated sensual, yet
sweet violin tone. In contrast to others, Svarfvar never drives off to the pompous, he does not even get into the dripping sentimental or senselessly pleasing.
Helmut Mauró, SZ
REVIEW | FANFARE MAGAZINE
Few Violinists in my experience have captured the shimmering chiaroscuro of Faure´s sonata quite like Arthur Grumiaux has, but a somewhat more recent recording by Krysia Osotowicz comes close, and so too, I must say, does this new reading by Christian Svarfvar and veteran pianist Roland Pöntinen. The two players work together in perfect accord to produce a totally spellbinding performance.
Fanfare Magazine
REVIEW | AFTENPOSTEN
Imagine Max Richter's version of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," only darker and more urban. Or Vikingur Olafsson's "Bach Reworks," but more danceable. Svarfvar himself plays with magnetic allure alongside the London Philharmonic Orchestra, virtuosic and intense.
Maren Ørstavik, Aftenposten
REVIEW | THE STRAD
The most successful recordings (Grieg Violin Sonatas) – most notably those by Christian Svarfvar and Maya Levy – tend to compensate subtly by playing up the third sonata’s open-hearted lyricism rather than its explosive Sturm und Drang
Julian Haylock, The Strad
REVIEW | CLASSICS TODAY
I can’t help but think that Svarfvar’s darker tone and quicker vibrato subconsciously channel Casals’ cello style. A most attractive release.
(Aprés un rêve, Bis Records)
Classics Today
REVIEW | LUXEMBOURG WORT
Musical mastership, virtuosic control, and sensibility equally mastered.
Luxembourg Wort
REVIEW | THE STRAD
Such a poetic intimacy and tantalising quiescence as to have the listener hanging on his every phrase.
Julian Haylock, The Stra
FEATURE | DAGENS NYHETER
Christian Svarfvar is a professional musician with a winning mentality.
He debuted at the age of twelve, performing Felix Mendelssohn's violin concerto.
Today, he is one of Scandinavia's most prominent violinists, having graced stages worldwide.
Johan Ekfeldt, TT
FEATURE | EPOCH TIMES
Linger on the moments of magic. Swedish violinist Christian Svarfvar is one of Scandinavia's most acclaimed violinists, performing with orchestras worldwide. He is now releasing the album "The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson.
Kristina Kleinert, Epoch Times
FEATURE | FOKUS
De är unga, svenska och uppträder på världens mest prestigefyllda konserthus. Ändå vet få vilka de är. De som är bäst på klassisk musik lever i konstant medieskugga.
Christian Svarfvar, en av Skandinaviens mest eftertraktade violinister. Du tillhör en ny generation internationellt framgångsrika musiker...
Elsa Westerstad, Fokus Magazine
FEATURE | ICON MAGAZINE
Redan som tolvåring hade han underbarnsstatus i den klassiska musikens värld. För ICON berättar stjärn- violinisten Christian Svarfvar om hur han ska öppna folkets ögon för hans livs passion. Och varför fiolen han spelar på är värd 30 miljoner kronor.