Olivier Robe is a French conductor who is recognized for his historically informed approach to music-making, combining scholarly rigor with artistic sensitivity. He prioritizes understanding historical context and performance practices to create expressive interpretations, which has earned him recognition for his attention to detail, precision, and ability to convey emotional depth in performances.
After studying cello at the Conservatoire de Paris and the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen, Olivier Robe went to Finland to study orchestral conducting with the legendary Jorma Panula, whose technique came to define his own style.
His second mentor was Philippe Herreweghe, who invited him to be an assistant at the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, among other projects, including CD recordings for Harmonia Mundi.
Olivier Robe has since conducted a variety of orchestras throughout Europe and Asia, including the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra the Philharmonic Orchestra of Thüringen-Gotha, the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra, the Nürnberger Symphoniker, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra Warsaw, and the Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim.
He is frequently invited to Romania to conduct the Bucharest Radio Orchestra, the Iasi Symphony Orchestra, and the Bacau Symphony Orchestra.
Olivier Robe also has strong relationships with several Belgian orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders (also known as the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra).
All of this experience has allowed Robe to approach classical, romantic, and contemporary repertoire in both historically informed and modern ways