REVIEWS & PRESS
HAFIZ - World Premiere Reviews
“On y entend surtout la déclaration d’amour d’un chef à son propre instrument : l’orchestre.”
“Above all, this is a conductor’s love letter to his own instrument: the orchestra.”
Erwan Gentric, Diapason
“Hafiz inhabits this tension between an acknowledged musical heritage and an attempt at continuity.”
Frédéric Lacoste, Courrier de Gironde, 17 April 2026
“The sound of Bordeaux’s legendary Grosse Cloche became one of the sonic inspirations for the score.” Joseph Swensen
“A luminous work where mysticism, poetry and orchestral colour merge into a world of profound emotional contrasts.”
Jochen Bauchart, Classykêo
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"A genuine poetic jewel."
Jochen Bauchart, Classykêo
SAGA TRILOGY
“The concerto bears the imprint of the Romantic tradition, in writing that embraces both modal language and evocative power.”
Gilles Charlassier, Classicagenda
“Music from another world.” “A true cosmic journey… a true cosmic saga!”
Bla Bla Blog
Selected Press
“Joseph Swensen entraîne ses troupes sur une voie dominée par les figures tutélaires de Furtwängler, Karajan ou Böhm.”
Erwan Gentric, Diapason October 2025
“Joseph Swensen leads his orchestra along a path guided by the towering musical legacies of Furtwängler, Karajan, and Böhm.”
Erwan Gentric, Diapason October 2025
“Swensen conducting with style, terrific elan, and more panache than you could pack into a stupefied grin, while the string section, in dazzling form, with endless brio and wit, delivered a thoroughly exhilarating and breathtakingly virtuosic performance of Britten’s Frank Bridge Variations.” Keith Bruce, Herald Scotland
“Illuminated by the subtle, shaded light of Swensen’s interpretation.” Erwan Gentric, Diapason
“To the conductor’s feline direction answered the roars and birdsong of the orchestra in a dazzling orchestral menagerie.” Philippe Venturini, Les Échos