A new approach to

Historically Inspired performance

By Eugene Tzigane

What would Classical or Romantic era music sound like if we used all the historical performance practices we know of and combined them with the flexibility, emotionality, and subjective mindset of the Enlightenment or Romanticism? It is still largely an unanswered question, despite the mountains of musicological evidence and the wealth of early historical recordings available.

Though the Period Instrument movement has made great advances in historical practices, many performances of the Classical and especially the Romantic repertoire are still not free of Modernist aesthetics ideals like perfectionism and fidelity to the text. Shedding these ideas is a difficult task. Consequently, only a select group of historical practices have been cherry-picked to match our current tastes. The next step is to let go of the known and take the leap into the beautiful unknown.

Through research, intuition, and imagination, I build a living picture of the era from which a piece was born. Intellectual and emotional immersion are the keys to performing the music as if from another time. Understanding that the range of styles, techniques and tastes of an epoch opens the door to the evolution of a personal style. This would have been expected at any moment in time prior to the rise of Modernism in the 1920s. I attempt to put myself in the shoes of a composer and his or her most famous champions.

I ask myself, how did Beethoven or Liszt play? Or, how did Wagner revolutionize conducting? What were the ideals and philosophies that guided their activities as composers and performers? It's the musical equivalent of an actor on stage who embodies a character in a realistic and believable way. It is at its essence a Holistic Approach to Historically Inspired Performance Practices.

Eugene Tzigane is a conductor of striking artistry and magnetic presence, acclaimed for his stylistic range, sonic clarity, and unique interpretational perspective. Of American–Japanese heritage and based in Europe, Tzigane brings a unique musical voice to his work on the podium — blending precision with imagination, tradition with a fearless spirit of discovery.
While serving as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland, Tzigane has captivated audiences and critics alike with performances described as "electrifying" (Keskisuomalainen) and “steeped in both elegance and insight” (BBC Music Magazine). His ability to draw both raw energy and subtle nuance from an orchestra has made him a favourite with ensembles across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.
Whether conducting the works of Brahms, Sibelius, and Mahler or championing contemporary voices and overlooked gems, Tzigane is driven by a compelling artistic vision: to bring orchestral music to life with authenticity, boldness, and a deep sense of storytelling.
Eugene was born in Tokyo in 1981 to a Japanese mother and an American father. Growing up between continents, he developed an early fascination with both the elegance of Japanese aesthetics and the dynamism of Western musical traditions. His multicultural roots continue to shape his artistic approach — one that fuses analytical rigour with expressive freedom.
Tzigane trained at some of the world’s most respected institutions. After studying at the Juilliard School under the mentorship of James DePreist, he graduated with a Master of Music in orchestral conducting in 2007. He then moved to Sweden to continue studies with the legendary Finnish conductor Jorma Panula at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm — joining a lineage of some of the finest conductors of the 20th and 21st centuries.
His career quickly gained momentum. In 2007, Tzigane won the Lovro von Matačić Competition in Zagreb, followed by the Grand Prize at the Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conducting Competition in Katowice. In 2008, he won the Second Prize at the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition in Frankfurt. These honours established him as a rising talent on the international stage.
Tzigane’s first major appointment came in 2010 when he was named Chief Conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, becoming the youngest in Germany at the time. During his tenure, he led over 140 concerts across Germany, Austria, Spain, and North America, expanding the orchestra’s repertoire and profile. He was concurrently Principal Guest Conductor of the Filharmonia Pomorska in Poland from 2009 to 2013.
In 2023, he assumed his current role as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, having been a regular and much-praised guest in the seasons leading up to his appointment. His programmes in Kuopio have earned acclaim for their "curatorial boldness" and "arresting emotional depth" (Savon Sanomat), bringing neglected repertoire to light alongside masterworks of the canon. Beginning Autumn 2025, he assumes the title of First Conductor and will undertake a Brahms cycle in a Historically Informed, Wagnerian style.
Tzigane has conducted leading orchestras on four continents, including:
- Europe: Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Bruckner Orchester Linz, Sinfonieorchester Basel, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Sinfonia Lahti, Tampere Philharmonic, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland), Prague Philharmonia, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, and Tonkünstler Orchestra.
- North America: Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
- Asia and Australia: Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
His performances have been praised for their “mesmerising control and finely sculpted textures” (Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger) and “deeply informed interpretations that reveal fresh insights in even the most familiar works” (Die Rheinpfalz).
Opera and Repertoire
Tzigane is equally at home in the opera house. He made his operatic debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich with Così fan tutte, and has since conducted productions at Hamburg State Opera, Oper Frankfurt, and the Royal Swedish Opera, including Die Zauberflöte, Die Fledermaus, and Carmen. His operatic style is noted for its dramatic pacing and sensitive attention to vocal phrasing.
His symphonic repertoire spans from the Baroque to the present day. He has a particular affinity for late Romantic and early 20th-century repertoire, but also advocates for underrepresented composers and contemporary voices. Recent programming has included works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Dora Pejačević, and contemporary Finnish and French composers.