'It’s tremendous fun to sit back and listen to her'

'Violinist Lea Birringer does dazzlingly right by Sibelius and Szymanowski concertos.'

'The German violinist is hardly the first artist to offer a fresh take on this warhorse [Sibelius]. But the approach she brings to her new recording [...] is particularly inviting. [...] And the Sibelius isn’t even the best thing on this album. That would be Birringer and Co.’s rendition of Karol Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2.'
The Arts Fuse - 02 July 2025

'Lea’s varied registers captivate with their enchanting sound'

'From the very beginning, she takes on a true challenge in the form of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto - an ever-erupting volcano that resists any approach lacking sufficient passion. And passion is something Lea certainly does not lack; she sweeps through everything in her path with her violin, delivering a performance of blazing lyricism and vibrant passion.'
Ritmo - July August 2025

'With impeccable precision and great brilliance'

'With this recording, German violinist Lea Birringer delivers an exquisitely refined and deeply engaging interpretation of two cornerstone works of the early 20th-century violin repertoire. [...] The Sibelius Concerto, written between 1903 and 1905, is a pillar of the violin repertoire and boasts dozens of historic recordings. And yet, Birringer’s version carves out its own space thanks to an intense, personal reading that masterfully combines poetic refinement with technical strength.'
Rivista Musica - July August 2025

'An exceptional CD'

'Just when you think you probably won’t hear a better recording of the Sibelius concerto along comes the German violinist Lea Birringer [...]'

'[...] a heart-pounding performance to rank with the best available on disc.'
The Whole Note - 02 June 2025

'A remarkable display of panache and precision'

'Malcolm Hayes on why this flawless performance by violinist Lea Birringer is definitely one to remember.'

'At every point in this remarkable release, her tone has a warmth, spontaneous poise, and beautifully varied range of light and shade which make the first movement of the Sibelius, especially, a memorable experience.'
BBC Music Magazine - Concert Choice - June 2025

'A most enjoyable album'

'Lea Birringer is a fine, poetically inclined player, who conjures some ravishing playing in the quieter sections of Sibelius’s opening Allegro moderato and central Adagio di molto. She is capable of injecting considerable fire and passion into her playing, which a fully rounded interpretation of the Sibelius really needs; listen to the end of the first movement and in the finale’s ‘polonaise for polar bears’.'

Gramophone, May 2025

'White-glowing poeticism and supple, brilliant technique'

'Geman violinist Lea Birringer has some heavy competition for her recording of  Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, and this brightly slender, fierily expressive reading holds its own among them. [...] Szymanowski’s Second Violin Concerto is an exceptionally complimentary choice: completed in 1933, nearly 30 years after the Sibelius, it also feels lushly Romantic in its scoring, and draws on folk rhythms and modal harmonies, yet it provides an interesting foil through its more headily sensualist sound world, exotic chromaticisms and distinctive colours such as piano. Birringer and the orchestra have its measure too, leaning wholeheartedly into its generously radiant, excited mood, and with Birringer’s cadenza a perfect marriage of white-glowing poeticism and supple, brilliant technique.'

dCS Audio, April 2025

'An ear-pleaser that speaks to both the mind and heart'

'Birringer launches into the notoriously difficult work with aplomb.'

Winnipeg Free Press, 25 April 2025

'Absolutely Stunning'

'The violinist Lea Birringer provides a stirring and more than competent recording of the Sibelius concerto.'

'Both soloist and orchestra work beautifully to produce an absolutely stunning recording of this work. The second section is achingly beautiful, and what an ending to the work!'

Classical Music Daily, 25 March 2025