# Discography of Sibelius symphony cycles

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) was one of the most important symphonists of the early twentieth century: his seven symphonies, written between 1899 and 1924, are the core of his oeuvre and stalwarts of the standard concert repertoire. Many of classical music's conductor–orchestra partnerships have recorded the complete set, colloquially known as the "Sibelius cycle". Specifically, the standard cycle includes:
* Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39 (1899; minor revisions 1900)
* Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43 (1902)
* Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52 (1907)
* Symphony No. 4 in A minor, Op. 63 (1911)
* Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82 (1915; major revisions 1916 and 1919)
* Symphony No. 6 in D minor, Op. 104 (1923)
* Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105 (1924)
Although early advocates such as Robert Kajanus, Sir Thomas Beecham, and Serge Koussevitzky had conducted many of Sibelius's symphonies for gramophone in the 1930s and 1940s, none of these Sibelians recorded all seven. Instead, the earliest complete traversal dates to 1953, four years before the composer's death on 20 September 1957; it is by Sixten Ehrling and the Stockholm Radio Orchestra, recorded from 1952 to 1953 for the Swedish label Metronome Records (released by Mercury Records in the United States). Ehrling had outpaced Anthony Collins and the London Symphony Orchestra, whose cycle—recorded from 1952 to 1955 on Decca Records—was concurrent with Ehrling's but arrived second.
Since the pioneering examples of Ehrling and Collins, the Sibelius cycle has, as of January 2025, been recorded an additional 47 times. The most recently completed (49th) cycle, finished in 2024, is by Santtu-Matias Rouvali and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; an additional projected cycle is in progress, according to press releases. A number of conductors have tackled the project more than once: Paavo Berglund (1977, 1987, 1997, 1998) recorded the Sibelius cycle four times, Sir Colin Davis (1976, 1994, 2008) three times, and Akeo Watanabe (1962, 1981), Lorin Maazel (1968, 1992), Jukka-Pekka Saraste (1989, 1993), Leif Segerstam (1992, 2004), Neemi Järvi (1985, 2005), Vladimir Ashkenazy (1984, 2007), Pietari Inkinen (2009, 2013), Sir Simon Rattle (1987, 2015), and Osmo Vänskä (1997, 2015) have done so twice. Leonard Bernstein completed one cycle (1967) but died in the middle of a second. Finally, Herbert von Karajan and Eugene Ormandy left, respectively, three and two incomplete Sibelius cycles.
Additionally, the Sibelius cycle can, in its non-standard form, include its "grand precursor" Kullervo (Op. 7, 1892), which some commentators view as a programmatic choral symphony. This perspective conceptualizes Kullervo as Sibelius's de facto "Symphony No. 0", thus expanding his completed contributions to the symphonic canon from seven to eight. Eleven of the 49 cycles include Kullervo as a supplement.

## Precursors: 1930–1951

In 1930, the Finnish government, perceiving a wide audience for Sibelius's works, enlisted Britain's Columbia Graphophone Company (later merged in 1931 with HMV to form EMI) to record the First and Second symphonies. The government's subsidization of such an artistic project (it contributed 50,000 Finnish marks) was, according to Sibelius's biographer Erik Tawaststjerna, "an enlightened and at this time unprecedented gesture ... a measure of the unique importance Finland attached to Sibelius as a national figure". Sibelius was permitted his choice of native-born conductors and selected his long-time interpreter, Robert Kajanus, writing of the septuagenarian conductor, "Very many are the men who have conducted these symphonies during the last thirty years, but there are none who have gone deeper and given them more feeling and beauty than Robert Kajanus".
The First and Second were recorded in the Westminster Central Hall on 21–23 and 27–28 May, respectively; although the orchestra was credited as the "Royal Philharmonic Orchestra", the musicians were "largely drawn from the London Symphony [Orchestra], which could not be named for contractual reasons". Two years later, in 1932, the British record producer Walter Legge founded the His Master's Voice (HMV) Sibelius Society, a subscription service that promised to record "all his [Sibelius's] major works and to culminate in the forthcoming Eighth Symphony". Legge enlisted Kajanus—by then in ill health—to record the Third (21–22 June) and Fifth (22–23 June) symphonies at Abbey Road Studio No. 1, again with the London Symphony Orchestra (this time properly credited). Each of Kajanus's recordings was a world premiere and, because of his close association with and personal selection by Sibelius, they "can generally be regarded as authoritative ... he communicates overwhelmingly a sense of total identification with the composer's mind".
Legge and HMV had planned for Kajanus to complete the cycle by recording the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh symphonies, but the maestro's death on 6 July 1933 prevented it. At Sibelius's "express wish", they turned to the Finnish conductor Georg Schnéevoigt to record the Fourth and the Sixth in June 1934; Schnéevoigt was touring London with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (it was billed as the "Finnish National Orchestra"), the principal conductorship of which he had inherited in April 1933 due to Kajanus's ill health. They recorded the Sixth in studio on 3 June (its world premiere recording) and the Fourth at a public concert on 4 June (its second recording, the premiere having been by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra on 23 April 1932 for Victor Records). However, Sibelius did not approve the test pressings of Schnéevoigt's Fourth and Legge did not issue it commercially; although Sibelius permitted the release of Schnéevoigt's Sixth, his response to the performance was tepid.
With the Schnéevoigt recordings lacking favour, the English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham stepped in to fill the void: for Legge, he and the London Philharmonic Orchestra recorded the Fourth on 10 December 1937 at Abbey Road. To prepare this performance, Beecham referenced a "detailed list of [Sibelius's] comments concerning tempi, phrasing, note durations, and so on", which the composer had sent to Legge upon hearing Schnéevoigt's Fourth. As such, Beecham's performance is seen as adhering more closely to Sibelius's standards. Ten years later, in 1947, Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra would displace Schnéevoigt's Sixth, recording the work for Legge from May to November 1947 at Kingsway Hall. According to Robert Layton, Sibelius is said to have referred to Beecham's Sixth as "his favourite recording of any of his symphonies".
A final important Sibelian from this period was the Russian émigré conductor Serge Koussevitzky, an "energetic disciple" to whom Sibelius had promised the world premiere of the ever-elusive Eighth Symphony. Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed the entire cycle during the 1932–1933 season (a programming first), and while in London to guest conduct the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Queen's Hall, Koussevitzky made the world premiere recording of the Seventh Symphony at a public concert on 15 May 1933. Koussevitzky dispatched the test pressings to Sibelius with a 6 June letter: "if they [the discs] do not please you, they will be destroyed"; the composer, however, was pleased, writing on 3 July: "I find it hard to express the joy I experienced when I listened to you dear Maestro ... Everything was so full of life and natural, and I cannot thank you sufficiently". Although he never obtained the Eighth (Sibelius abandoned the project and destroyed the score), Koussevitzky's advocacy remained undiminished: he commercially recorded the Second on 24 January 1935 and the Fifth on 29 December 1936, as well as an additional Second on 29 November 1950, six months before his death.

## Complete Sibelius cycles: 1952–present
### Complete cycles

Although early advocates from the 1930s and 1940s had conducted many of Sibelius's symphonies from gramophone, none of these Sibelians recorded all seven. In February 1952, Metronome (the United States distributor was Mercury) and Decca each began cycles: the former enlisted the Swedish conductor Sixten Ehrling and the Stockholm Radio Orchestra (now the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra), whereas the latter employed the English conductor Anthony Collins and the London Symphony Orchestra. For his cycle, Ehrling visited Sibelius at Ainola on 10 June 1952, "loaded with practical questions concerning interpretation and the composer's intentions"; but Sibelius's demurred, refusing to "confine the interpretations of his music to any specific edicts; each artist must be allowed to work according to his capacity and imagination". Ehrling outpaced Collins, completing his Sibelius cycle—history's first—in January 1953; Collins finished two years later in January 1955. These would be the only two cycles completed in Sibelius's lifetime.
Both the Ehrling and the Collins cycles were recorded in mono; the Japanese conductor Akeo Watanabe and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra were the first to stereo, completing their cycle for Nippon Columbia in 1962 (the United States distributor was Epic). A patriotic milestone arrived in June 1977 when the Finnish conductor Paavo Berglund became the first of Sibelius's countrymen to record the cycle (with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, EMI). Ten years later in July 1987, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra became the first Finnish ensemble to complete the cycle (with Berglund, EMI).
The sortable table below contains all commercial recordings of the complete Sibelius cycle. To date, it has been recorded 49 times by 35 conductors (of which 12 are or were Finns, Sibelius's countrymen) and 34 orchestras (three Finnish). In terms of superlatives, Berglund (1977, 1987, 1997, 1998) holds the record for the most cycles by a conductor. The record for an ensemble is jointly held by the London Symphony Orchestra (1955, 1994, 2008), the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (1962, 1981, 2013), the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1989, 1993, 2014), and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (1985, 2005, 2024), at three apiece. Finally, among record labels, Decca has produced a record six cycles (Collins, 1955; Maazel, 1968; Davis, 1976; Ashkenazy, 1984; Blomstedt, 1995; Mäkelä, 2022).
Complete Sibelius cycles: 1952–present :
| No. | Conductor | Orchestra | Years | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
| No. | Conductor | Orchestra | Years | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
| 1 | Sixten Ehrling | Royal Stockholm Philharmonic (1) | 1952–1953 | 37:02 | 42:13 | 29:00 | 34:10 | 27:19 | 26:39 | 19:57 | Musikaliska, Nybrokajen 11 [sv] | Metronome, Mercury, Finlandia | |
| 2 | Anthony Collins | London Symphony Orchestra (1) | 1952–1955 | 34:27 | 40:32 | 24:35 | 31:39 | 29:30 | 28:24 | 19:40 | Kingsway Hall | Decca | |
| 3 | Akeo Watanabe (1) | Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (1) | 1962–1962 | 37:44 | 42:14 | 30:53 | 34:55 | 30:08 | 26:55 | 20:48 | Tokyo Bunka Kaikan $^{(1,3–4)}$ Suginami Public Hall $^{(2,7)}$ Bunkyo Public Hall $^{(5–6)}$ | Nippon Columbia, Epic, Denon | |
| 4 | Leonard Bernstein | New York Philharmonic | 1960–1967 | 36:37 | 44:37 | 26:31 | 39:26 | 32:49 | 26:41 | 22:46 | Philharmonic Hall $^{(1–4,6–7)}$ Manhattan Center $^{(5)}$ | Columbia, Sony Classical | |
| 5 | Lorin Maazel (1) | Vienna Philharmonic | 1963–1968 | 36:10 | 43:18 | 26:27 | 32:49 | 27:28 | 24:32 | 21:22 | Sofiensaal | Decca | |
| 6 | Sir John Barbirolli | The Hallé (1) | 1966–1970 | 41:50 | 45:57 | 32:47 | 36:17 | 33:15 | 29:54 | 21:54 | Kingsway Hall | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| 7 | Gennady Rozhdestvensky | Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra | 1969–1974 | 38:25 | 44:58 | 26:59 | 33:58 | 29:32 | 27:52 | 20:51 | [Unknown] | Melodiya | |
| 8 | Sir Colin Davis (1) | Boston Symphony Orchestra | 1975–1976 | 39:14 | 44:48 | 29:36 | 37:09 | 32:04 | 24:34 | 21:20 | Boston Symphony Hall | Decca | |
| 9 | Maurice Abravanel | Utah Symphony Orchestra | 1977–1977 | 36:44 | 43:00 | 29:14 | 34:32 | 29:16 | 28:11 | 21:14 | Mormon Tabernacle | Vanguard, Musical Concepts | |
| 10 | Kurt Sanderling | Berlin Symphony Orchestra | 1970–1977 | 40:03 | 45:28 | 27:24 | 36:03 | 32:27 | 29:19 | 23:49 | Berlin Christuskirche [de] | Brilliant Classics, Berlin Classics | |
| 11 | Paavo Berglund (1) | Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | 1972–1977 | 39:00 | 44:53 | 31:13 | 37:22 | 32:11 | 31:32 | 21:55 | Southampton Guildhall $^{(1,3,5,7)}$ Abbey Road Studios $^{(2,4)}$ Kingsway Hall $^{(6)}$ | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| 12 | Akeo Watanabe (2) | Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (2) | 1981–1981 | 38:47 | 42:29 | 28:38 | 33:54 | 31:06 | 27:06 | 21:18 | Hitomi Memorial Hall $^{(1–2,4–5,7)}$ Narashino Cultural Hall $^{(3,6)}$ | Denon | |
| 13 | Sir Alexander Gibson | Royal Scottish National Orchestra | 1982–1983 | 37:23 | 41:16 | 26:13 | 31:03 | 29:19 | 27:21 | 20:35 | SNO Centre Hall | Chandos | |
| 14 | Vladimir Ashkenazy (1) | Philharmonia Orchestra | 1979–1984 | 39:36 | 46:21 | 29:31 | 32:59 | 31:35 | 28:16 | 22:30 | Kingsway Hall $^{(2–5,7)}$ Walthamstow Town Hall $^{(1,6)}$ | Decca | |
| 15 | Neeme Järvi (1) | Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (1) | 1982–1985 | 38:38 | 41:52 | 29:14 | 37:50 | 33:39 | 27:25 | 20:45 | Gothenburg Concert Hall | BIS | |
| 16 | Sir Simon Rattle (1) | City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1) | 1984–1987 | 41:35 | 44:53 | 28:34 | 37:37 | 30:27 | 29:41 | 22:30 | Warwick Arts Centre | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| 17 | Paavo Berglund (2) | Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (1) | 1984–1987 | 36:13 | 39:50 | 28:36 | 34:12 | 30:24 | 28:53 | 21:24 | Kulttuuritalo $^{(1–3,5–6)}$ All Saints Church $^{(4,7)}$ | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| 18 | Jukka-Pekka Saraste (1) | Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (1) | 1987–1989 | 38:19 | 43:38 | 27:35 | 34:30 | 32:26 | 30:13 | 21:00 | Kulttuuritalo | RCA Red Seal | |
| 19 | Adrian Leaper | Slovak Philharmonic | 1989–1990 | 36:05 | 43:16 | 26:33 | 35:00 | 30:39 | 26:43 | 20:25 | Reduta Concert Hall | Naxos | |
| 20 | Leif Segerstam (1) | Danish National Symphony Orchestra | 1990–1992 | 42:58 | 47:07 | 31:47 | 39:51 | 34:56 | 31:38 | 22:14 | Danish Radio Concert Hall | Chandos | |
| 21 | Lorin Maazel (2) | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra | 1990–1992 | 40:16 | 46:53 | 27:31 | 39:33 | 31:35 | 27:21 | 25:53 | Heinz Hall | Sony Classical | |
| 22 | Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2) | Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (2) | 1993–1993 | 36:51 | 42:09 | 27:10 | 32:19 | 31:33 | 28:43 | 19:38 | Saint Petersburg Philharmonia | Finlandia | |
| 23 | Sir Colin Davis (2) | London Symphony Orchestra (2) | 1992–1994 | 39:34 | 46:38 | 30:17 | 37:18 | 30:17 | 26:05 | 22:51 | Blackheath Halls $^{(1–2,4,6–7)}$ Watford Town Hall $^{(3,5)}$ | RCA Red Seal | |
| 24 | Herbert Blomstedt | San Francisco Symphony | 1989–1995 | 39:32 | 44:32 | 29:14 | 36:20 | 31:09 | 29:48 | 22:27 | Davies Symphony Hall | Decca | |
| 25 | Osmo Vänskä (1) | Lahti Symphony Orchestra (1) | 1996–1997 | 35:04 | 44:44 | 30:32 | 39:27 | 31:20 | 26:45 | 22:44 | Ristinkirkko | BIS | |
| 26 | Paavo Berglund (3) | Chamber Orchestra of Europe (1) | 1995–1997 | 36:27 | 41:31 | 29:55 | 33:11 | 30:28 | 28:17 | 22:04 | RFO Hall, Hilversum $^{(1–3)}$ Watford Colosseum $^{(4,6–7)}$ Nijmegen Town Hall [nl] $^{(5)}$ | Finlandia | |
| 27 | Paavo Berglund (4) | Chamber Orchestra of Europe (2) | 1998–1998 | 37:59 | 43:16 | 30:59 | 33:51 | 33:11 | 29:09 | 22:27 | Finlandia Hall | ICA Classics | |
| 28 | Petri Sakari [fi] | Iceland Symphony Orchestra | 1996–2000 | 38:07 | 45:02 | 29:06 | 37:47 | 31:17 | 30:22 | 22:45 | Reykjavík University Hall $^{(1–3)}$ Reykjavík Concert Hall $^{(4–7)}$ | Naxos | |
| 29 | Sakari Oramo | City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2) | 2000–2003 | 37:07 | 44:10 | 29:46 | 35:48 | 31:14 | 27:01 | 21:19 | Birmingham Symphony Hall | Erato, Warner Classics | |
| 30 | Leif Segerstam (2) | Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra (2) | 2002–2004 | 38:14 | 45:45 | 29:57 | 37:50 | 33:49 | 30:12 | 21:04 | Finlandia Hall | Ondine | |
| 31 | Neeme Järvi (2) | Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (2) | 2001–2005 | 38:49 | 46:40 | 30:31 | 38:41 | 32:01 | 31:16 | 24:37 | Gothenburg Concert Hall | Deutsche Grammophon | |
| 32 | Vladimir Ashkenazy (2) | Royal Stockholm Philharmonic (2) | 2006–2007 | 38:21 | 44:44 | 27:23 | 32:17 | 31:04 | 27:04 | 20:36 | Stockholm Concert Hall | Exton | |
| 33 | Sir Colin Davis (3) | London Symphony Orchestra (3) | 2002–2008 | 39:35 | 44:43 | 30:48 | 38:42 | 30:57 | 25:47 | 22:27 | Barbican Centre | LSO Live | |
| 34 | Arvo Volmer | Adelaide Symphony Orchestra | 2007–2008 | 36:18 | 42:50 | 28:27 | 34:55 | 31:46 | 31:06 | 19:42 | Adelaide Town Hall | ABC Classics | |
| 35 | Pietari Inkinen (1) | New Zealand Symphony Orchestra | 2008–2009 | 40:18 | 44:16 | 29:36 | 36:29 | 33:05 | 29:19 | 21:04 | Michael Fowler Centre | Naxos | |
| 36 | Pietari Inkinen (2) | Japan Philharmonic Orchestra (3) | 2013–2013 | 40:15 | 46:21 | 30:06 | 38:42 | 33:54 | 30:19 | 21:41 | Suntory Hall $^{(1,3–7)}$ Yokohama Minato mirai Hall $^{(2)}$ | Naxos Japan | |
| 37 | John Storgårds | BBC Philharmonic | 2012–2013 | 38:35 | 45:46 | 28:58 | 34:49 | 32:35 | 28:12 | 22:12 | MediaCityUK | Chandos | |
| 38 | Okko Kamu | Lahti Symphony Orchestra (2) | 2012–2014 | 38:24 | 44:56 | 29:29 | 38:07 | 34:42 | 29:06 | 22:40 | Sibelius Hall | BIS | |
| 39 | Hannu Lintu | Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (3) | 2012–2014 | 41:16 | 45:49 | 30:12 | 40:15 | 34:20 | 30:58 | 22:32 | Helsinki Music Centre | Arthaus Musik | |
| 40 | Sir Simon Rattle (2) | Berlin Philharmonic | 2014–2015 | 37:39 | 43:12 | 28:17 | 36:50 | 30:32 | 29:13 | 21:48 | Berlin Philharmonie | Berlin Phil | |
| 41 | Tadaaki Otaka | Sapporo Symphony Orchestra | 2013–2015 | 37:25 | 44:15 | 28:57 | 35:32 | 30:23 | 28:20 | 22:13 | Sapporo Concert Hall | Fontec | |
| 42 | Osmo Vänskä (2) | Minnesota Orchestra | 2011–2015 | 34:43 | 46:14 | 29:50 | 38:28 | 30:50 | 28:58 | 22:01 | Minneapolis Orchestra Hall | BIS | |
| 43 | Kim Dae-jin | Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra [ko] | 2015–2015 | 37:54 | 42:31 | 29:15 | 33:58 | 30:30 | 28:58 | 23:27 | Suwon SK Artrium | Sony Classical | |
| 44 | Paavo Järvi | Orchestre de Paris | 2012–2016 | 39:49 | 44:37 | 28:55 | 35:59 | 31:38 | 29:16 | 21:32 | Salle Pleyel $^{(1,6–7)}$ Philharmonie de Paris $^{(2–5)}$ | RCA Red Seal | |
| 45 | Sachio Fujioka | Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra | 2012–2018 | 40:01 | 43:50 | 29:06 | 39:40 | 32:37 | 30:40 | 20:48 | The Symphony Hall, Osaka | ALM Records | |
| 46 | Sir Mark Elder | The Hallé (2) | 2006–2019 | 39:03 | 46:44 | 29:50 | 41:07 | 30:40 | 28:41 | 22:34 | New Broadcasting House $^{(1)}$ Bridgewater Hall $^{(2–7)}$ | Hallé | |
| 47 | Klaus Mäkelä | Oslo Philharmonic | 2021–2021 | 39:54 | 46:03 | 30:03 | 37:52 | 34:01 | 31:23 | 22:44 | Oslo Concert Hall | Decca | |
| 48 | Owain Arwel Hughes | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | 2019–2022 | 41:03 | 47:50 | 31:44 | 39:05 | 31:21 | 30:25 | 21:07 | St John's Smith Square | Rubicon Classics | |
| 49 | Santtu-Matias Rouvali | Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (3) | 2018–2024 | 39:42 | 45:29 | 31:28 | 36:56 | 31:11 | 30:26 | 21:09 | Gothenburg Concert Hall | Alpha Classics | |

### Complete cycles including Kullervo

Additionally, the Sibelius cycle can, in its non-standard form, include Kullervo (Op. 7, 1892), a five-movement symphonic work for soprano, baritone, male choir, and orchestra. This piece, which predates the First Symphony by seven years and in 1893 launched the young Sibelius as an important composer for orchestra, features sung text from Runos XXXV–VI of the Kalevala, Finland's national epic. Kullervo eschews obvious categorization, in part due to Sibelius's own ambivalence: at the premiere, program and score each listed the piece as a "symphonic poem"; yet, Sibelius nevertheless referred to Kullervo as a symphony both while composing the piece and again in retirement when reflecting on his decades-long career.
Today, many commentators prefer to view Kullervo as a programmatic choral symphony, variously due to its deployment of sonata form in the first movement, its thematic unity and recurring material, and its massive scale. Such a perspective thus conceptualizes Kullervo as Sibelius's de facto "Symphony No. 0", thereby expanding his completed contributions to the symphonic canon from seven to eight. Eleven of the Sibelius complete cycles listed above also include Kullervo. The sortable table below lists recording information for these performances.
Complete cycles that include Kullervo :
| No. | Conductor | Orchestra | Soloists | Male choir(s) | Year | Time | Recording venue | Label |
| 11 | Paavo Berglund (1) | Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra | Raili Kostia [fi], Usko Viitanen [fi] | YL Male Voice Choir | 1970 | 71:45 | Southampton Guildhall | EMI Classics, Warner Classics |
| 15 | Neeme Järvi (1) | Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra | Karita Mattila, Jorma Hynninen | Laulun Ystävät Male Choir [fi] | 1985 | 69:45 | Gothenburg Concert Hall | BIS |
| 17 | Paavo Berglund (2) | Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra | Eeva-Liisa Saarinen [fi], Jorma Hynninen | YL Male Voice Choir Estonian National Male Choir | 1985 | 71:46 | Kulttuuritalo | EMI Classics, Warner Classics |
| 20 | Leif Segerstam (1) | Danish National Symphony Orchestra | Soile Isokoski, Raimo Laukka [fi] | Danish National Radio Choir [da] | 1994 | 75:50 | Danish Radio Concert Hall | Chandos |
| 22 | Jukka-Pekka Saraste (2) | Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra | Monica Groop, Jorma Hynninen | Polytech Choir | 1996 | 69:46 | Kulttuuritalo | Finlandia |
| 23 | Sir Colin Davis (2) | London Symphony Orchestra | Hillevi Martinpelto, Karl-Magnus Fredriksson [fi] | London Symphony Chorus | 1996 | 80:59 | Walthamstow Assembly Hall | RCA Red Seal |
| 25 | Osmo Vänskä (1) | Lahti Symphony Orchestra | Lilli Paasikivi, Raimo Laukka [fi] | YL Male Voice Choir | 2000 | 80:34 | Sibelius Hall | BIS |
| 30 | Leif Segerstam (2) | Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra | Soile Isokoski, Tommi Hakala | YL Male Voice Choir | 2007 | 77:56 | Finlandia Hall | Ondine |
| 33 | Sir Colin Davis (3) | London Symphony Orchestra | Monica Groop, Peter Mattei | London Symphony Chorus | 2005 | 72:12 | Barbican Centre | LSO Live |
| 39 | Hannu Lintu | Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra | Johanna Rusanen [fi], Ville Rusanen [fi] | Polytech Choir Estonian National Male Choir | 2018 | 72:28 | Helsinki Music Centre | Ondine |
| 42 | Osmo Vänskä (2) | Minnesota Orchestra | Lilli Paasikivi, Tommi Hakala | YL Male Voice Choir | 2016 | 79:29 | Minneapolis Orchestra Hall | BIS |

## Incomplete Sibelius cycles: 1952–present
### Projected cycles in progress

The sortable table below includes one projected, in-progress Sibelius cycle, which—once completed—would constitute the 50th entry in the commercial catalogue.
Projected cycles in progress :
| Conductor | Orchestra | Years | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
| Conductor | Orchestra | Years | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
| Yannick Nézet-Séguin | Orchestre Métropolitain | 2018– | 41:05 | 44:54 | 30:29 | 38:08 | 31:26 | — | — | Montreal Symphony House $^{(1–5)}$ | ATMA Classique | |
Additionally, beginning in November 2024, the Finnish conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra will commence a cycle, "during which all of Jean Sibelius's symphonies will be recorded as high-quality multi-camera productions"; the videos will be available on Deutsche Grammophon's Stage+ streaming service. Once completed, this would be the third Sibelius cycle for both Saraste (previously 1989 and 1993, both with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra) and the Helsinki Philharmonic (previously 1987 with Paavo Berglund and 2004 with Leif Segerstam).

### Incomplete cycles no longer in progress

In addition to the 48 completed Sibelius cycles, there are a number of incomplete traversals available to the public. Of particular note is the collaboration between the Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan and the Philharmonia for EMI, because it occurred during Sibelius's lifetime. In 1954, Walter Legge—who, in 1932, had been instrumental in the projected Kajanus–LSO cycle—sought to woo the octogenarian composer to London, either to personally conduct the cycle or, barring that, to supervise the production of one under Karajan (then under contract with Legge's EMI):
   As I believe I have already told you, Herbert von Karajan is, in my view, of all the leading conductors, the one with the greatest insight into your music. If you are completely happy with his performances of these three great works [Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5, recorded in 1952; and Tapiola, 1953], I would be deeply grateful if you would write and tell me so, because if Herbert von Karajan's performances satisfy you, it is my intention to record all of your symphonies to be published in time for the celebration of your ninetieth birthday ...
Subsequently, Sibelius voiced his approval to Legge in person, remarking: "Karajan is the only one who really understands my music". In the end, Karajan recorded Symphonies Nos. 4–7 with the Philharmonia before Sibelius's death, all in mono; and, in 1960, he added to this set stereo recordings of Nos. 2 and 5.
The sortable table below includes these and other incomplete Sibelius cycles for which a conductor recorded with the same orchestra at least three of the seven symphonies, including: Karajan's second and third, each with the Berlin Philharmonic, the orchestra he conducted for over three decades; Bernstein's second; and, Berglund's record fifth.
Incomplete cycles no longer in progress :
| Conductor | Orchestra | Years | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Symphony runtime | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
| Conductor | Orchestra | Years | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Recording venue | Label | Ref. |
| Paul Kletzki | Philharmonia Orchestra | 1955–1955 | 35:20 | 40:28 | 27:24 | — | — | — | — | Kingsway Hall $^{(1–3)}$ | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| Herbert von Karajan | Philharmonia Orchestra | 1952–1960 | — | 45:47 | — | 35:59 | 32:28 30:46 | 28:00 | 25:01 | Kingsway Hall $^{(2,4–7)}$ | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| Eugene Ormandy | Philadelphia Orchestra | 1957–1962 | 39:41 | 43:48 | — | — | — | — | 22:34 | Broadwood Hotel $^{(2,7)}$ | Columbia, Sony Classical | |
| Herbert von Karajan | Berlin Philharmonic | 1965–1967 | — | — | — | 36:08 | 31:34 | 28:49 | 23:18 | Jesus-Christus-Kirche [de] $^{(4–7)}$ | Deutsche Grammophon | |
| Eugene Ormandy | Philadelphia Orchestra | 1972–1978 | 41:49 | 44:39 | — | 32:13 | 33:38 | — | 23:42 | Scottish Rite Cathedral $^{(4–5,7)}$ | RCA Red Seal | |
| Herbert von Karajan | Berlin Philharmonic | 1976–1981 | 38:48 | 47:48 | — | 39:01 | 32:33 | 27:23 | — | Berliner Philharmonie $^{(1–2,4–6)}$ | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| Leonard Bernstein | Vienna Philharmonic | 1986–1990 | 41:18 | 51:30 | — | — | 35:34 | — | 24:54 | Wiener Musikverein $^{(1–2,7)}$ Wiener Konzerthaus $^{(5)}$ | Deutsche Grammophon | |
| Mariss Jansons | Oslo Philharmonic | 1990–1994 | 38:01 | 42:13 | 28:08 | — | 29:46 | — | — | Oslo Konserthus $^{(1–3,5)}$ | EMI Classics, Warner Classics | |
| James Levine | Berlin Philharmonic | 1991–1994 | — | 40:15 | — | 37:20 | 29:21 | — | — | Konzerthaus Berlin $^{(2)}$ Jesus-Christus-Kirche [de] $^{(4)}$ Berliner Philharmonie $^{(5)}$ | Deutsche Grammophon | |
| Adrian Leaper | Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria | 1996–1997 | 37:47 | 45:10 | — | — | 32:16 | 29:26 | 21:26 | Nave Industrial, El Cebadal, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria $^{(1–2,5–7)}$ | Arte Nova Classics | |
| Paavo Berglund | London Philharmonic Orchestra | 2003–2005 | — | 43:43 | — | — | 31:40 | 28:35 | 22:37 | Royal Festival Hall $^{(2,5–7)}$ | LPO Live | |
| Thomas Søndergård | BBC National Orchestra of Wales | 2014–2014 | 38:10 | 41:53 | — | — | — | 28:30 | 20:33 | BBC Hoddinott Hall $^{(1–2,6–7)}$ | Linn Records | |