ABOUT
Official Biography
Award-winning violinist Christian Svarfvar is widely regarded as one of Scandinavia's most beloved musicians, captivating audiences with his elegant, honest, and sensual tone.
Growing up, Svarfvar was immersed in music since both his parents were professional violinists. He began his violin studies with his father, Sven-Ole Svarfvar, a respected teacher and former 1st concertmaster of the Norwegian Opera and Swedish Chamber Orchestra.
Svarfvar's talents flourished, and at the age of twelve, he made his debut as a soloist in Mendelssohn violin concerto with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.
He has performed at prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Musikverein, Kölner Philharmonie, Palais de beaux arts, and the Concertgebouw, and has collaborated with esteemed conductors such as Vassily Sinaisky, Hannu Lintu, and musicians such as Janine Jansen, Clemens Hagen and Maxim Rysanov.
With critically acclaimed recordings and innovative collaborations, Christian is pushing the boundaries of classical music's impact on society and culture, constantly seeking out innovative collaborations with artists and organizations from a wide range of genres, all in the name of expanding the reach and relevance of classical music in the modern world.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
THE SYMPHONIC TOUCH OF BENNY ANDERSSON
Benny Andersson's music like you've never heard it before.
"The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson" - Christian Svarfvar and The London Philharmonic Orchestra
Renowned as a member of ABBA, Benny Andersson's most beloved compositions will receive a new symphonic treatment this spring.
The London Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Swedish violin soloist Christian Svarfvar, has recorded a pioneering selection of ABBA, BAO, Chess, and Kristina from Duvemåla arranged by Swedish conductor Anders Berglund.
The album, titled "The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson," contains twelve instrumental recordings and will be released worldwide on April 14.
With a full orchestral setting recorded in London, "The Symphonic Touch of Benny Andersson" promises to captivate and inspire music lovers worldwide.
"THE PARAPHRASER'S ART IS NOT EASY, BUT ULLÉN SEEMS TO HAVE A SPECIAL FEELING FOR IT IN THE RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUM INFINITE BACH: BACH RECOMPOSED.
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, HUFVUDSTADSBLADET
INFINITE BACH
Beloved Baroque violin concertos are given a thrillingly imaginative revamp
JS BACH RECOMPOSED
‘The Bach violin concertos are not only one of the Baroque period highlights, but are one of the foundations of the entire history of music’ writes Swedish violinist Christian Svarfvar on his new album of Bach Re Composed by fellow Swede Johan Ullén. ‘
It’s a whole world of beauty in 60 minutes. Then you may ask yourself: why recompose something that is already so perfect?’ The result is this brilliant album of re-composed Bach concertos, with a fearless and technically challenging stratospheric solo violin part contrasting with enriched cellos and basses.
Bach was forward-looking and his influence has traveled the centuries, influencing jazz, rock, and pop musicians as well as every classical composer who came after him.
"THINK MAX RICHTER'S VERSION OF VIVALDI'S "THE FOUR SEASONS", ONLY DARKER AND MORE URBAN.
OR VIKINGUR OLAFSSON'S "BACH REWORKS", JUST MORE DANCEABLE.
SVARFVAR HIMSELF PLAYS WITH MAGNETIC ATTRACTION TOGETHER WITH THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, VIRTUOSO AND FIERCE. EXCITING STUFF."
- MAREN ØRSTAVIK, AFTENPOSTEN
"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 AN 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. THE ”FACT THAT INFINITE BACH" HAS ALREADY BECOME A HIT ON THE STREAMING PLATFORMS FEELS OBVIOUS."
-MARTIN NYSTRÖM, DAGENS NYHETER
"PLAYING OF FINESSE AND SENSITIVITY, PROVIDING THE PERFECT SOUND WORLD – WARM, INTIMATE, TONALLY RAVISHING.
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
"CHRISTIAN SVARFVAR TAKES ON THIS FAMOUS VIOLIN CONCERTO (BRUCH) WITH HIS UNPRETENTIOUSLY ELEGANT, YET CONCENTRATED SENSUAL, YET SWEET VIOLIN TONE.
IN CONTRAST TO OTHERS, SVARFVAR NEVER DRIVES OFF TO THE POMPOUS, HE DOESN´T EVEN GET INTO THE DRIPPING SENTIMENTAL OR SENSELESSLY PLEASING."
- HELMUT MAURÓ, SÜEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
RECORDINGS
CD | NOV 2021
On his first album for Rubicon, Svarfvar teams up with London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Joana Carneiro.
They feature one of the best loved of all 19th-century concertos, Max Bruch's evergreen Violin Concerto No.1.
Wilhelm Stenhammar's warmly romantic Violin Sonata and Sentimental Romances complete the recording.
Gramophone wrote on the album that "Svarfvar radiates tenderness"
CD | NOV 2013
CD | NOV 2018
BRUCH & STENHAMMAR
CD | APR 2016
APRÈS UN REVE
GRIEG VIOLIN SONATAS
Selecting works by these three French composers, the Swedish team of Christian Svarfvar and Roland Pöntinen have put together a recital framed by Fauré’s sonata and that by Ravel, composed some 50 years later and here serving as a reminder of the new influences that reached France in the meantime. The Strad described the CD as "Breathtaking performances" and called it “An outstanding release".
INFINITE BACH
The Bach violin concertos are not only one of the Baroque period highlights, but are one of the foundations of the entire history of music’ writes Swedish violinist Christian Svarfvar on his new album of Bach Re Composed by fellow Swede Johan Ullén.
Bach concertos recomposed with a fearless and technically challenging stratospheric solo violin part contrasting with enriched cellos and basses.
According to the Grieg, these three Violin Sonatas epitomize central stages in his artistic development: he called the first one "naive, rich in models; the second the national; and the third the one with the wide horizon". Grieg rated these three sonatas amongst his best works
The Financial Times chief critic, Andrew Clarke praised the album highly and gave it 5/5
"CHRISTIAN SVARFVAR MUSES POETICALLY OVER THE OPENING SOLO OF THE BRUCH CONCERTO. 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."
GRAMOPHONE
GET IN TOUCH
ALL ENQUIRES
GET IN TOUCH
MANAGEMENT
CORPORATE EVENTS
MANAGEMENT
LATIN AMERICA
MUCHI MUSIC
JOSÉ-MARIA ÀLVAREZ
MUCHI MUSIC
José-Maria Álvarez
T +41 55 28 83 26 72