[…] From the outset, Christian Tetzlaff’s smooth phrasing and tone captivated the audience, establishing the conditions for an impressive performance. He navigated the piece’s technical demands with seeming ease, delivering a performance of the first movement that was both adroit and spellbinding. Tetzlaff played the movement’s cadenza with such brilliance that the brief burst of applause felt inevitable. In the second movement, his emotionally distant approach provided an introspective quality that hung in the air. The final movement erupted with energy. Winds bubbled up, and timpani and Tetzlaff matched each other in dramatic fashion. As the piece rushed toward conclusion, Sibelius’s sweeps and swells felt like more than music. […]

Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International, 16.02.2025