Swedish violinist Christian Svarfvar is one of Scandinavia’s most accomplished violinists, renowned for his artistic versatility and emotional depth. He performs all the great violin concertos with leading orchestras, and has recorded extensively, including three acclaimed albums with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
From iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Concertgebouw, and Cité de la Musique to Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Seoul Art Center, and Megaron in Athens, Svarfvar’s artistry has captivated audiences across the globe ,with critics describing his performances as “mesmeric”, with a tone that “gleams” (Gramophone). Svarfvar’s rendition of the Grieg violin sonatas garnered high praise from prominent publications, with the chief critic of the Financial Times hailing him with the following words: “Pure pleasure, buoyed by Svarfvar’s fearless expression, rock-solid technique, and stylistic acumen. This gifted violinist has done us – and Grieg – a big favour, and we must hear more from him.”
A passionate advocate for expanding classical music’s reach, Svarfvar embraces innovative collaborations: his groundbreaking recording of Bach’s Violin Concertos (recomposed by Johan Ullén), performed with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, garnered millions of streams and critical acclaim worldwide.
His most recent album, The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson (Naxos, 2023), a symphonic reimagining of curated compositions by Benny Andersson, arranged by Anders Berglund and recorded together with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, received an unprecedented level of media attention for a classical musician. This acclaim resonated not only in Sweden, but also reached international audiences.
Read More At the age of twelve, Svarfvar made his solo debut performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of a journey that would lead him to continue his musical education and career. Building upon this early success, Svarfvar embarked on a path of his musical training, through further studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and Juilliard in New York. These esteemed institutions provided Svarfvar with world-class training, and provided him with a foundation for a career that his been defined by virtuosity and artistic excellence. As a chamber musician, Svarfvar has performed and collaborated with such admired musicians as Janine Jansen, Julian Rachlin, Clemens Hagen, Tabea Zimmerman, Martin Fröst, Frans Helmersson, Maxim Rysanov, and Boris Brovtsyn. His engagements span a distinguished spectrum of orchestras, including the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Stockholm Sinfonietta, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Vaasa City Orchestra, Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra, Istanbul Philharmonic, Filarmónica de Bogotá and Swedish Radio Symphony, among others. Svarfvar’s repertoire extends beyond traditional perimeters, collaborating with contemporary composers such as Howard Shore, Chaya Czernowin, Anders Hillborg, and Kaija Saariaho. One example is his world-premiere performance of Howard Shore’s violin concerto Eastern Promises, which was conducted by Shore himself and performed with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Shore is a three-time Oscar-winning composer known for his work on films such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. Read more about Christian on his homepage: christiansvarfvar.com Show Less
Video
