Jean-Marie Zeitouni

Conductor · Canadian

A Canadian conductor known for lively, historically informed takes on the classics

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In short

Jean-Marie Zeitouni is a Canadian conductor who leads orchestras across North America. In these Boston concerts he directs the Handel and Haydn Society, a period-instrument ensemble, in Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, one of the most recognizable works in the orchestral repertoire.

On the podium

Zeitouni's appearance here centers on Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, a work built from a famous four-note motif, three short notes and a long one, that returns transformed across all four movements. Because the Handel and Haydn Society plays on period instruments, expect a leaner, more transparent orchestral sound than a modern symphony orchestra typically produces, with gut strings and narrower-bore brass giving the music a rawer edge. Listeners can expect brisk tempos and sharp dynamic contrasts, from hushed, tense passages to sudden bursts of full-orchestra sound, culminating in a triumphant major-key finale that Beethoven builds toward across the entire piece.

Written by OrchestraFinder, reviewed September 2026.